


The Persistence of Loss

by TrippyToastersAndABagOfChips



Category: Golden Sun, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anyone can die, Character Death, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Crossover Shipping, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-22
Updated: 2014-05-21
Packaged: 2017-11-14 20:06:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 35
Words: 218,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/519032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrippyToastersAndABagOfChips/pseuds/TrippyToastersAndABagOfChips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Deciding she wants to write her own destiny, Xion flees Organization XIII to a world called Weyard. There she bumps into a troubled warrior named Felix, setting off an adventure. The Organization pursues Xion, while Felix hunts the traitor Alex. And as these events unfold, an ancient and powerful force sets its eye upon them...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leaving Hope

Xion lay on her back in her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling of her bedroom. It was gray, like everything else in The Castle That Never Was. Normally the gray didn't bother her, but today it felt different. After passing through so many worlds with Riku, the dullness of this place seemed almost to taunt her. It was reminding her how trapped she was, how no matter what she did, the whole mess she called her life was going to end with someone hurt.

The gray was everywhere. She could turn her head and look at something else in her bedroom, but that would be pointless. Everything in the castle was dull and lifeless. Xemnas and his followers were obsessed with the concept of their own nothingness. It was mostly Xemnas' thing, for sure. But they all desired to have hearts, whether they showed it or not.

The dullness of the place was intentional, she was sure. The Nobodies had chose a place that reflected their true nature. Their true nature as nothing, merely empty shells of something that was once beautiful. Without hearts, they were essentially a violation of the laws of nature. These hearts they so desired, but could never have, as Xion now knew. Kingdom Hearts would grant Xemnas power, but they were all stuck without hearts. Trapped forever as Nobodies...

But Xion wasn't a Nobody, like they were. She was a Replica, and an imperfect one at that. They were more real than her, as ridiculous as that sounded. Her very existence was unstable, and prolonging it only put the others in danger. Being around Roxas slowly drained his energy, and would eventually kill him. And not to mention poor Sora. If she did not die, he would never be able to wake up.

So whatever time she had was borrowed time at best. She would have to face her destiny at some point, but she could at least enjoy a few more sunsets with Roxas and Axel before she had to die.

She hated it, but there was nothing she could do. Anyway she could possibly try to resolve this with her survival would only make things worse. And if she did find some way to continue existing, would it still be her? Or would Sora's memories morph her into somebody else entirely? She could become some twisted imitation of Sora, or perhaps Kairi. She already was an imitation of Kairi, in a way.

Who was she truly? Was there a person buried beneath all those memories who was the true Xion? She wasn't particularly bound as the black haired girl that everyone saw. She knew Xigbar saw her as someone else, as she had read his journal. And she knew Saix saw her as an empty puppet, but whether that was only in nature or in his very vision of her was something she could not be sure of. And Xemnas saw her as Sora, but that was understandable, as that was what he truly wanted.

So who would she be if the memories that her present form was built on were stripped away? The black haired girl? Sora? Or just a dead, empty shell?

Probably the latter, she thought grimly. She clenched her eyes shut, tired of the empty grayness around her, and tired of her splitting headache. She rubbed her eyes, wishing she had something to do. It was too early to go to sleep, but the last thing she wanted to do was go out to the Gray Area and be around the other Organization members. People who pretended to be friendly while plotting to kill each other. Everything they did was fake. Right now, all she wanted was to be around something real.

Sighing, she sat up on her bed and summoned her keyblade. She looked over it, thinking of all the Heartless she had slain with it. Despite all the battles it had experienced, there wasn't a single niche or scratch on its shiny surface.

It wasn't her keyblade. Nor was Roxas' his. They both came from Sora, so they had access to his skills. What right did she have to work against him with his own tools? She sent the keyblade away and stood up. She paced around her room for a while, rubbing her temples. She didn't know why her head hurt so much, but it probably had something to do with Sora. Everything had to do with Sora.

Sora was starting to piss her off. He wasn't even conscious right now, yet everything still revolved around him. Riku was working to wake him up, and was more than willing to destroy both her and Roxas to do so. Namine was trying to piece back together the memory she destroyed, the memories that were giving Roxas hallucinations and were destroying her existence.

But Nobodies and Replicas weren't real, right? That's what they all said. They weren't real people, so they didn't have to be treated as such.

Xion clenched her fists. She was real! She had a body and a mind. She didn't have a heart, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel. Those days atop the clock tower proved that. She was a person, and she didn't deserve to be treated like a puppet. She deserved to have a happy ending just as much as Sora did.

She'd come to a decision. She was going to find a way to make it work. It was a shame that Sora would have to wait to wake up, but that was just too bad.

The last time she left the Organization, Axel had just brought her back. But she hadn't been as careful as she could have. She knew enough about the Organization to avoid them. They hadn't caught her, she had wanted to go back. To say goodbye to Roxas and Axel. To see her friends one last time.

She would leave to find a way for everyone to survive. Dying and returning to Sora was just giving up. She existed now, so they were just going to have to deal with that.

She stood up and went to her door. After listening for a second, she was sure nobody else was there. She slowly opened the door and poked her head out. As she suspected, the hallway was empty. She stepped out, and made her way down the halls, heading for the exit. She had to step outside of the castle before she could use a Corridor of Darkness. Otherwise, the others would know she was gone in a second. But getting to the streets would be easy.

Nothing was going to stop her now. She would fight them all for her right to exist.

 

Felix stood at the edge of the black abyss where Mt. Aleph had once been. Peering into the gaping depths, he wondered how far down it went.

He kicked a rock, watching it bounce off the edges of the cliff side before disappearing into the chasm. He never heard it hit the bottom.

The moon was high in the sky. It illuminated much of the night, but even with a full afternoon sun, Felix would not have been able to see the bottom of the chasm.

As a Venus Adept, he figured he would be able to sense something about the disappearance of the mountain. But he was getting nothing.

Ne needed to get down there. There had to be a way. He could always use his sand psynergy to travel down the edge of the chasm, reforming once he reached the bottom. But once he was down there, he had no guarantee that he would be able to make it back up. The sand was passive, taking the easiest route it could. And his psynergy wasn't an infinite resource.

He resigned himself to the fact that there was no way to get down there. He had already considered other options, but none of them would work. He and Isaac's Growth psynergy wouldn't give them a sturdy enough rope to make it down, nor did anyone have a real rope long enough to reach the bottom. Sheba's Hover psynergy would give out long before they reached the bottom, and they would fall to their deaths. The flying Lemurian ship was too big and unwieldy to maneuver down the chasm.

But even if these options would have worked, Sheba was back in Lalivero, and the Lemurian ship was gone with Piers. They were both gone, along with Ivan and Mia.

And really, Felix was the only one who really wanted to explore the chasm. Well he and Mia had, before she had returned to Imil.

Felix sighed, feeling the healer's absence painfully. He had bonded slowly with the healer during the last phase of the trip, she being the only member of Isaac's group who seemed to understand his burden. She had once carried a great responsibility, the protection of Mercury Lighthouse. And after he had arrived with Saturos and Menardi and essentially robbed her of her duty, he had expected her to hate him. But it wasn't he she hated. It was her cousin, Alex.

That was the reason Felix wanted to climb down that chasm. To find Alex and slice open his throat. He hated the man for more than anyone else in the world, even more than he hated the Wise One for almost making him kill his own parents.

Alex had triggered the entire quest. He had been behind everything. Years before the Proxians had decided to light the elemental lighthouses, he had been researching Alchemy and the Stone of Sages. He had gone to the secluded village of Prox to give them information. He had told them where the other lighthouses were, as well as the elemental stars. He had given them all the information the Mercury clan had gathered on the lighthouses and Alchemy, withholding of course the things he didn't want them to know.

Just enough to spur them into action. He had gone with them when they had first raided Sol Sanctum. He had watched, but not participated. Nobody had known he was there, not even Saturos and his men. As they triggered the trap that would kill not only almost all of them, but would also release the boulder that nearly drowned Felix and his parents, Alex stood by watching. He had known what would happen, but did nothing.

Alex had stood by as Felix and his parents were marched in chains back to Prox. They had suffered there, cold and mistreated for three years, before Saturos declared that they were trying again, this time with Felix's help.

And then Alex had been there when Felix's sister Jenna and the scholar Kraden were taken after the raid once again failed.

While he did not have much of a direct hand in these events, it was his constant egging on of Saturos behind the scenes that had infuriated Felix. And his almost flirtatious nature with Jenna did not help improve Felix's opinion of him any more than his arrogant attitude or his frequent disappearances.

But it was after the events at Venus Lighthouse that truly brought Felix to hate him.

After they were washed ashore on Indra, Alex had once again disappeared, more or less leaving them all for dead. As their journey continued, he had popped in here and there, insulting and trying to intimidate them.

At Jupiter Lighthouse, he helped Agatio and Karst escape after they had back-stabbed and attempted to kill them.

And then after Mars Lighthouse, he had climbed Mt. Aleph and seized the Golden Sun while Felix had been tricked into almost murder his own parents. He had thrown so many lives into chaos and used them like puppets for his own selfish goals.

Sure, lighting the lighthouses had been necessary. But Alex hadn't done it to save the world. He had done it for power. While Saturos and the other Proxians had been awful people, even bordering on mindless killers at times, they had gone on the quest to save their village. Alex had betrayed his.

But even all this wasn't why Felix hated him so much.

It was what had happened when he got back to Vale. His family had been reunited and the world had been saved. The village was gone, but everyone had survived. All was well, and Felix could finally rest in peace.

But he was wrong. Felix's tent now rested nearly a mile away from the camps, set up next to the Aleph Chasm, as he liked to call it. The other villagers had spat at him when he had returned. He was a traitor in their eyes.

The elders had never given him a chance to return to the others. Their debate had been on the options of Execution or Banishment. Jenna and the others had appealed to them passionately, telling them everything that had happened. But it had done nothing. The Vale Elders were even greater fools than the Lemurian Senate.

The debate was still on. They told him that the choice was now his. The people of Vale planned to leave for Vault in the morning, and then for Kalay later. If he tried to follow them, he would be killed. Exactly who was going to kill him was never stated, and Felix knew nobody besides his friends were anywhere near as strong as he was. But he had decided it was just better to let them go than to cause problems.

Jenna was to marry Isaac once they reached Kalay. She already carried his child. Their parents were going too, but they would be returning to Vault after the wedding. After everything they'd been through, they needed a quiet place to settle down.

The rest of his friends had gone already, but they intended to reunite for Jenna's wedding. Piers had taken Sheba back to Lalivero, and was now sailing the seas as a free man. Ivan was in Kalay, working with Lord Hammet in preparing the city for the arrival of the Valeans. Garet was going to help the elderly villagers during the move.

And then of course, there was Mia. She had stayed with him for a while, sharing his tent. They had been lovers for the last few months of the trip. She had been really the first good thing to happen to him since childhood. And now she was gone. They had argued, and she had left. She was back in Imil now, he figured. Resuming her old post as the village healer.

It didn't matter. What mattered was that he was alone.

Felix's life was destroyed, and the only person he could blame was Alex. It was all he had left. So now he stood at the edge of the chasm, trying to figure out a way down so that he could make sure the man was dead. He prayed he was still alive, so that he could end the man's life himself.

 

Xion had nearly made it out of the Castle That Never Was, when she heard a voice behind her call out her name. The voice was so familiar, she knew who it was without even turning around.

"Xion..." Roxas said. "Where are you going?"

She stood with her back turned to him, knowing that if she saw his face it would bring her to tears. A funny thought, seeing as how she wasn't supposed to have a heart.

"I'm leaving. And I'm not coming back until I have a way to set things right." She forced herself to say.

"Don't do this." Roxas said, coming closer. "Axel just brought you back. They'll send him to do it again. Think of what will happen. Think of what Saix will do to you, after running a second time. He let it go the first time, but he doesn't forgive twice."

She said nothing.

"Especially not for you. I don't know why he hates you so much, but I can't protect you from all of them. Please, Xion. Don't make them destroy you."

He stood just behind her now. Not turning to face him, she sighed.

"I wish things could just keep going the way they were." She said. "But it's over. Those days are gone. And if I want to hold on to anything, anything at all... Well, I have to do this. Otherwise, we'll never be able to have ice cream again."

"Why?" He demanded, grabbing her shoulder, and tuning her around. "Why is everything so different now? Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?"

Her eyes were cast down. She just couldn't look at him.

"I wish I could tell you." She said. "But being near you is hurting you. And you're not the only one. I have to go and find a way. So that everyone can go on, and nobody will be hurt. He told me the only way for that was to die, but I know there's another way. Somehow..."

"Who told you that?" Roxas demanded. "That man you were with? The one who dresses like one of us? He's lying to you, Xion! Don't listen to him! I don't know who he is, but he's running around in our coat, pretending to be one of us. You can't trust somebody like that."

She slipped her hand from his grip and turned half away from him. "I don't know who I can trust anymore. I can't trust Xemnas, that's for sure. I have to leave, Roxas. Or everything is going to get much worse."

Roxas stepped back, a hurt look in his eyes. Xion struggled not to look at him.

"There is always the easy way." Xion said. "But that would destroy me. And you as well, in time. But I don't want to die. I refuse to accept that that's the only way. So I'm leaving, and I'll come back when I have a way for us all to survive. Then we can have ice cream again."

Roxas was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"So that's it, then. You have to go..."

He took her hand in his.

"Fine. Just be careful, okay?"

Xion met his gaze at last. He had a sad smile on his face.

"You, too. Don't be too trusting, Roxas. The Organization is built on lies."

She turned and started walking away. It hurt her to leave like this, but she had no choice. This was the only way.

"We're going to have ice cream again!" Roxas called after her. "Promise me!"

"We will!" She called back. "I promise!"

Xion stepped just outside of the castle, and summoned a Corridor of Darkness. She flashed Roxas a quick smile, and disappeared through it. After a few moments, Roxas walked back inside, muttering something to himself. Up on the balcony, overlooking the entire scene, a shadow stood behind a pillar, grinning.

"So, Poppet's gone again, huh... They just never learn, do they?"

 

Jenna approached the lone tent by the chasm, a wrapped bowl of pasta in her arms. She was only in the early stages of her pregnancy, and still able to manage on her own quite well. Her brother's tent was easy to see, due to the golden glow created by the lantern he had burning inside.

Before she could clear her throat and announce herself. She heard her brother mutter, "Come in."

As she stepped inside the large tent, she saw Felix at a desk, bent over a stack of papers. His ponytail was undone, leaving his dark brown hair unkempt around his shoulders.

"I brought you something to eat."

"Thanks."

Jenna walked over and placed the bowl on the table. As she did, she glanced at the papers, which looked like graphs of the chasm.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Trying to find a way down into that damn hole." He muttered. "Why are you up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep." She said. "I couldn't stop thinking about you, all alone out here."

"Sorry to bother you." He muttered. He pulled the cover off the bowl and started ravenously devouring the noodles.

"You don't have to listen to the elders, you know." She said. "Who's going to stop you? You can come with us to Kalay. I want my brother to see my wedding."

"It's not just the elders." Felix said. "It's all of them. All the villagers. They hate me. They think I faked my death in the river. You know, as part of my plot to steal the stars."

"Screw them!" Jenna exclaimed. "Since when do you care what others think? Are you really going to turn your back on your family?"

"Isaac doesn't want me there either. And I honestly don't think I could stand watching my sister marry someone I don't like."

"But you used to be such close friends!"

"That was before he told me I was a traitor. Before he supported the Elders in banishing me. Before he came back as the triumphant hero and told the villagers I was a traitor and a thief, when I was the one who gave up everything to save the world. How could I watch a man like that marry my sister?"

"That's not at all true!" Jenna exclaimed. "He's been trying to get the Elders to let you back in! He's been fighting non-stop to reverse their decision!"

"He once tried to kill me. He was working against us when we were lighting the lighthouses. Remember Jupiter Lighthouse? I saved his life. I saved the lives of all four members of his group. And how does he thank me? He pulls a sword on me."

"Felix... How much sleep have you been getting?" Jenna asked gently.

"What are you talking about?"

"You have rings around your eyes. And they're so bloodshot."

"I'm fine." He muttered. Finished with the pasta, he placed the bowl back on the table and returned his gaze to his papers. "Thanks for the food, but I really have to get back to work."

Jenna strode past him started rummaging under his bed.

"What are you looking for?" He demanded.

"You always used to hide things under your bed." She said. She stood back up, an empty bottle of ale in her hands. "There were six more of these under there. I thought I smelled cheep booze when I walked in."

"So what if I'm drinking?" Felix said. "It's not like I have anything else to do out here. Except finding a way into that damn hole."

"Felix..." Jenna said as gently as she could. "Is this about Mia?"

He stopped reading and set the papers down. He was silent for a moment, then he turned around.

"That's none of your concern."

"Felix, I'm worried about you. I've never seen you like this. What's going on?"

"It's Alex, okay? It's all his fault. I'm going to stay here until I can get down here and find him. And then I'm going to kill him."

"Alex is dead, Felix. He was crushed under tons of rock. His body is crushed to dust."

"I can't know that for sure. I have to find him, dead or alive. I have to see his body before I can rest."

"You were so happy when Mia was here. Remember how you reacted when the Elders told you you were banished? You laughed in their faces and joined everyone in the celebration. You didn't care. After she left you just... Changed."

Felix was silent. He sat back down and returned to his work.

"Please come with us to Kalay. I can't have my wedding without my big brother."

"Thank you for the food." He said in a dull voice. "You should probably be getting back soon. You need rest before the trek."

"Will you come with us?" She demanded, not budging an inch.

"I'll... I'll think about it."

"Thank you." Jenna said. She went to his side and kissed him on the forehead. "You get some sleep too, okay? You look worse than Dullahan."

She took her bowl and left. He sat there, staring blankly at his charts.

He'd told her he would think about it, but he had already made up his mind. He wasn't going to Kalay. He was going in the chasm. Tonight.

 

Xion stepped out of the Corridor into a forest.

She was in a new world, one that she had discovered herself about a week before she had left with Riku. The rest of the organization had no knowledge of this world. Not to mention that the world was huge, larger than any she had been to before. Hiding here would be easy.

Weyard was a very unique world, very different from the ones Xion had been to before. It wasn't as developed as the other worlds, but that wasn't its most interesting feature. As far as she knew, the Organization wasn't even aware of it's existence.

The whole world was also flat. How that was even possible was something Xion couldn't understand. Not to mention how it just... felt. There was something very strange about this place. It was like the very air was different somehow. It seemed a fitting place to begin her search.

Xion made her way through the forest. If her memory of this world was correct, she should be close to a huge mountain. This was where she had arrived when she first came here, and she remembered a large mountain with a peaceful little village at the foot.

It was strange, because she didn't see the mountain peak above the trees. Granted, it was night now, and it had been daytime when she first came here, but it wasn't really something you missed. She was certain she was on the right path, so she should be seeing it.

Her certainty was cast into doubt when she emerged from the forest to find a totally different scene than the one she expected.

The mountain was utterly gone, replaced by a massive chasm that stretched all the way to the smaller mountains to the north. The village was also missing, but that was to be expected. For a moment, she wondered where the villagers had gone, but her question was answered when she spotted a scattered mass of tents flickering with the glow of small fires and lamps.

Xion considered heading over to the tents and asking about the mountain's disappearance, but decided against it. She couldn't afford to leave witnesses in case the Organization came here looking for her.

She made her way down the hill towards the edge of the chasm. For some reason, she felt the need to hurry, so she started running. She usually would take more precautions, but no one would see her with her black hair and coat in the dead of night.

As she drew near the massive chasm, she thought she spotted a lone tent by the edge. Perhaps it was a researcher, camped there trying to solve the mountain's disappearance. She could probably get away with talking to them. What would it hurt?

She didn't know why, but the need to hurry there was stronger. She found herself running as fast as she could, trying to reach the distant tent. Whatever force was pressing her on, she could not resist its urgency.

 

Felix stood once again at the edge of the chasm. A half-empty bottle of ale was clutched in his left hand, and the hilt of his sheathed sword was in his right.

"Alex, you bastard!" He screamed into the chasm. "I'm coming for you!"

He took another drink from the bottle. He felt sick to the stomach, but he was going to do this. It was now or never. If Alex was alive, he was down there, and Felix was going to find him.

He had leaped off Venus Lighthouse and survived. He had been struck by a huge boulder and made it. He could make it down that chasm. And if he didn't survive... Well, who would care? Everyone hated him. Even Mia had left him.

He took another drink and finished off the bottle. He tossed it into the abyss, waiting to hear the sound of shattering glass. After a few moments, he was convinced it had reached the bottom. He thought he almost heard it. It couldn't be that far. It was all in his head.

He took a few steps back, ready to jump. He was going to do this, nothing would stop him.

A female voice called to him on the wind. Jenna must have come back, and had realized he was going to jump. Well, screw her! If she wanted to go off and marry a jerk like Isaac, that was up to her. But she couldn't expect him to go to the wedding, anymore than she could stop him from jumping now. Gods, she was selfish.

He started to run, but slipped and fell. As he hit the ground, his stomach seemed to turn inside out and he vomited all over the grass. Must have been all the ale he'd had.

He staggered back to his feet and began running towards the edge. If you could call it running.

"What are you doing?" The female voice demanded, much closer now. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"Go away, Jenna!" Felix spat. He slipped again and collapsed in the mud.

He struggled back to his feet again and stumbled back over to the edge of the chasm.

"I'm doing this and nobody can stop me!"

"I'm not going to let you jump off that cliff!" The girl he assumed was Jenna tackled him and tried to pull him away from the cliff. He couldn't see her face, due to darkness, drunkenness, and the fact that she had grabbed him from behind and was pulling him back.

She was strong, which was weird since Jenna had just gotten weaker after she got pregnant. And why was she wearing gloves?

"Get off me, Jenna! I have to kill Alex! It's all because of him!"

"What are you talking about?"

Felix roughly pushed her back, and she fell on the ground. He spun around to tell her off, and realized this girl wasn't Jenna. This was a girl with black hair, wearing a black coat. She stared at him with the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

She stood up, a defiant look in her eyes. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is you and your idiocy. Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"Shut up!" He exclaimed. "I'm going down there, and not you, not Jenna, not anyone is gonna stop me!"

He turned and made a run for it. The girl chased after him.

"Wait!" She called.

As he went over the edge, she grabbed his arm. He fell, and she held onto him. She tried to grab the edge of the cliff as they fell, but her fingers slipped and they plummeted.

As they fell, Felix realized what he had done. In mid-air, he grabbed the girl and held her in his arms, just as he had done with Sheba when she had fell. He held her above him, so that when they hit the ground, his body would absorb the impact. He would die, but at least she may survive.

As they fell, Felix found it strange how small this girl was. She'd seemed to strong when she was holding him back...

This was the last thing that went through his mind. The sudden impact hit him like a train, and everything went black in an instant.


	2. The Great Below

Xion tried to breathe, but found she couldn't. She opened her eyes, but saw nothing. Everything was so dark. She couldn't see, and she couldn't breathe. She tried to move her arms, but something firm held them at her side. Panicked, she tried to remember what had happened. All she remembered was trying to stop that man from jumping off the cliff. He had leaped, and she had grabbed him. They had both fallen.

Was she dead?

Xion desperately tried to do something, anything. Nothing seemed to be working. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. She needed so desperately to breathe, but she just couldn't for some reason. Everything was so dark...

Her senses kicked in and she realized she was underwater.

That man she had tried to save... He was holding her very tightly. He had wrapped his arms around her as they had fell, and they had hit something...

The surface of water. He'd hit the surface of a lake or something so hard it had knocked out or killed him. And they were sinking! She couldn't move because he was clutching her with a death grip! If she didn't get out of his death hug, she'd drown!

Desperately, she struggled against him. With all of her strength, she pried open his arms. They were as rigid as steel, but she managed to break free.

Her lungs were going to explode. She had to get to the surface, now! But there was no light. Everything was pitch black. She didn't even know which way was up.

She thought she spotted the faint glow of the moon. Praying she was right, she started swimming towards it. As she did, she grabbed the neck of the man's shirt and pulled him up with her.

It seemed so impossibly far away. Everything seemed to be slowing down... Her lungs were aching... It would be so easy to just let this heavy man go and close her eyes...

Suddenly, her head broke the surface. Without even thinking, she started swallowing huge mouthfuls of air. She never thought she'd be so happy to breathe.

After catching her breath, Xion looked around, trying to gather her bearings. The moonlight was faint, but it was just enough for her to see the rocky shore in the distance. All around her stood the massive, straight walls of the cliff side. The rocky walls were so straight, they formed a huge basin.

Pulling the man behind her, Xion swam slowly through the inky black water towards the shore. The progress was agonizingly slow, and she quickly found her teeth chattering from the cold night air brushing against her soaked skin.

The man felt ridiculously heavy, and Xion herself felt weighed down by her drenched clothes. The organization cloak was pretty heavy when it was dry, but soaked it felt like she was covered in weights.

She would probably have a better chance of making it if she let go of the man. He had taken the full force of the collision, and had been totally out of it while underwater. The chances that he was still alive were slim. The chances of him surviving this night were even slimmer. Hypothermia was not a comfortable state to be in.

But if he was still alive, she wasn't about to just let him go. She had leaped off a cliff to save him, so she would be damned if she was going to let him die in the water.

At last, she reached the shore. She heaved herself up on the rocks, pulling the inert man up with her.

Exhausted, she collapsed. She lay there for what felt like forever, staring up at the starry sky, which seemed so much farther away now. It was strange, a sky without the massive Kingdom Hearts hovering over her.

A cold breeze cut through, reminding Xion just how cold she was. It also reminded her about the body next to her. She reached over and grabbed his wrist, checking for a pulse.

She was surprised to find that he was not only alive, but his pulse was strong and steady. She put her ear close to his lips and found his breath was coming in slow, but not shallow, gasps. He wasn't even shivering that much.

When Xion thought about it, she was probably in worse shape than he was. How this was possible escaped her, as the fall alone would have killed an ordinary human.

Deciding it was a discussion for another time, she climbed to her feet. She heaved the heavy man up, his arms across her shoulders. He was heavy, and she was exhausted, and both of their cloths were soaked. The journey was even harder than the swim had been, but she pushed herself on.

Everything was dark and damp. The rocks around her were a thick blueish-black color, and she could barely see twenty feet in the distance.

Xion made her way along the edge of the lake, until she discovered the source of the water. A narrow, but swift river flowing downhill into the lake. Assuming the mountain had once stood here, it had probably once been an underground spring, unearthed only after the mountain had sank into the ground.

She pulled the man along uphill for a while, until she reached an area littered through with large rock hills and walls. She set him down and rested for a moment, but pulled him back up and continued on before she fell asleep. The large boulders and hills around her formed a natural maze, easy to get lost in, but she'd had no sense of direction from the very beginning.

She figured she had to find some sort of shelter. The Organization members were all given basic survival training, in case of situations like this. It wasn't anything more than basic, since the Nobodies could just RTC if things got too bad. But she couldn't do that anymore.

She struggled on, more dragging the heavy warrior behind her than actually carrying him. If he hadn't been an idiot and leaped off the cliff, she wouldn't be lugging his fat ass across this canyon floor. If and when he woke up, she would have strong words for him.

A thought then struck her. If she didn't have a heart, why was she trying so hard to save this total stranger? Why had she even bothered to try to stop him from jumping, much less risk her own life to keep him alive? If the things Saix had told her were true, she should have been impartial to the whole affair. She was sure the other members would have been.

Whatever the reason, Xion figured she could worry about it later. Right now, she needed to find a safe place. She scanned around, looking for some sort of cave or something. As if her prayers had been heard, she quickly spotted a small opening in the cliff wall not far from where she was.

Dragging the man behind her, she almost ran to the mouth of the small cave. It wasn't very big, about half the size of her old bedroom back at the castle. But it would do.

As she pulled the man inside, she realized how the cave was exactly what she needed. She would have been suspicious if she hadn't been so exhausted.

Her eyes adjusting to the dark, she realized that they weren't the first occupants. In the center were the ashes of a fire, with some spare wood nearby. Remnants of food and water supplies could be seen, along with torn scraps of blue cloth and bandages, all stained brown with dried blood.

For a second she panicked, thinking that someone was using the cave and could return any minute. But on closer revision, she could clearly see that the camp was old, at least by a week or two.

Xion dragged the man beside the ashes. Tossing a few pieces of stray lumber and some dead grass into a pile, she then placed her hands over them and cast fire.

Or at least she tried to cast fire. She spoke the words, but nothing happened. She cursed aloud when she realized she hadn't equipped any fire spells before she'd left.

What was she to do? If she didn't get a fire going, they would both freeze to death. There had to be some way to start a fire with the materials around her. She dug around the small cave, looking for something she could use. She figured the previous occupant must have had something for this.

It felt like she looked forever, but she finally managed to find an almost tiny shard of flint. Taking one of the pieces of blue cloth and a rock, she did what she could to get a fire going. She bashed the tiny piece of flint of that rock for what felt like hours, nearly losing it half a dozen times. All the while, she was shaking fiercely and her teeth were chattering so loud that she was worried the Organization would hear it all the way in their castle.

At long last, she got the tiny scrap of blue cloth to ignite. She stuck it under the lumber and dead grass, praying it didn't go out. It took a while, but eventually the wood started burning. In a few minutes, she had a small, but warm fire burning.

Xion slipped out of her Organization cloak, leaving herself in the small black shirt and pants she wore under the cloak. She laid the soaked black cloak out near the fire to dry, and did the same with her black boots and socks. She tried to get comfortable, but even her clothes underneath were wet. She groaned when she realized she had to strip farther to get dry. She checked on the brown-haired man to make sure he was still unconscious, then slipped off her small black shirt and the loose black pants. She placed them next to the fire and huddled near the fire only her underwear.

She glanced back over at the man, and slapped herself on the forehead. His clothes were soaked, too. She moved over beside him and awkwardly removed first his green cloak, then his boots, and gloves. She unbuckled his belt and placed his sword on the other side of the room. She then turned to him and started pulling off his shirt.

There she was, in nothing but her underwear, undressing this unconscious man. If he woke, she would die from embarrassment. At last, after some struggles with the many buttons of his garb, and her own awkwardness, she managed to get his shirt unbuttoned, and she almost gasped at what she saw. He was in good shape. Very good shape.

Wanting to run away in shame, she pulled his shirt off his shoulders and set it next to the rest of his clothes. She wasn't touching his pants. Screw it, those stayed on.

Xion returned to the other side of the fire. At least that explained why he was so heavy. He was all muscle. Maybe that's why he survived the impact of hitting the water. Perhaps he was in such good shape that the cold barely bothered him, and he could endure near suffocation with little adverse effects.

Or maybe he was just superhuman, like the Nobodies. Maybe he was a Nobody. He was certainly crazy enough to be one, leaping into that chasm.

Xion needed to find a way back up the chasm. She needed to get to a village and steal some local clothes. She would never be able to hide from the Organization if she ran around in their cloak. She needed to blend in. A dark corridor would get her up there, but she suspected that the Organization could track those, and if so, she had to avoid using them. If that was so, they'd already know she was here.

She had to lie low for a little while. The Organization would be looking for her pretty actively at first. But if she could avoid them, they might assume her dead and relax their search. Perhaps if they figured she'd fallen in the chasm, they would assume she'd died. That would be a much needed-blessing.

Either way, she had to get Xemnas and his gang off her trail before she could focus her efforts on finding a way to solve the issue with Sora's memories.

Perhaps she could find someone like Namine. Someone who had power over memories. Namine couldn't be the only person with those abilities out there, in all the worlds. Maybe instead of just moving the memories around, they could find a way to duplicate them. Then Sora could get his memories back, and Xion could stay intact. If it was possible to make two copies of the same memory... That might actually work.

Was that possible? If so, had Namine even considered such an approach? Or did that red guy just want them all gone, and had pushed her towards the easy way? She didn't like that red guy.

All Xion knew was that she couldn't trust either side right now. The Organization would want her destroyed after running away a second time, and Riku and Namine wanted to turn her into Sora-food. If she wanted to live, she had to avoid them both.

She looked outside. The sun was starting to rise. It reminded her of those times with Roxas and Axel atop the clock tower.

The brown-haired man made a groan. She turned to him, worried that he was waking up. But he just rolled over, and remain unconscious. He must be sleeping now, she figured.

She turned back to watch the sunrise. It was always breathtaking, no matter what world it occurred on.

Hopefully her clothes would be dry before he woke, so she didn't have to face him almost naked. But when he did wake, she would have to face something she wasn't looking forward to. Was he sane? Wanting to leap off a cliff certainly didn't make him look too lucid. What if he was dangerous?

Perhaps when his clothes were dry and she redressed him, she would just leave his sword in the corner.

 

Felix slowly looked out through his almost shut eyelids. In his immediate range of vision, he could see a small fire. Beyond that, he saw the bare legs of the girl who had tried to stop him. She was sitting against the wall of the cave they were in, hugging her legs. She seemed to be naked for some reason. Come to think of it, he was as well, save for his strangely-damp pants.

He shifted his head as much as he could get away with without alerting her to his being awake. He saw his sword propped up against the wall on her side. It appeared she didn't trust him.

Both of their clothes were laid out close to the fire, presumably to get warm. But why did their clothes need to be warmed?

He remembered falling, and then... Hitting something very hard. But it couldn't have been rock, or his body would be crushed. As he was, he didn't even seem to have any broken bones.

He needed to figure a few things out. He needed to know who this girl was, and where they were. As well as why she had tried to stop him.

Deciding that feigning sleep would serve no further purpose, he silently rose to a seating position. The girl didn't react. She was looking out the mouth of the cave at the rising sun, a spaced-out look to her.

Felix cleared his throat and she nearly jumped up. She wasn't naked, just in her underwear.

"Good morning." Felix said.

"You're awake..." She said cautiously.

"I am now. Sorry about how we met. You caught me on a bad day."

"Did I?" She muttered, her disbelief obvious. "That seemed like more than a bad day to me."

"I wasn't thinking clearly. I appreciate you trying to stop me, though."

"I'm sure you would have done the same."

"My name is Felix, by the way."

She said nothing. Felix noticed a blush on her cheeks. She was moving her arms, trying to cover up her breasts. He tried not to chuckle.

"You saved me?" He asked her.

She nodded.

"I'll have to return the favor." Felix said, sitting back against the cave wall. "What's your name?"

"Xion."

"That's an interesting name." He said. "I've never heard one like that before. What does it mean?"

Xion considered. "In a way, it means I'm not real."

"That's funny." Felix laughed. "You seem pretty real to me."

She said nothing. She drew her legs closer, trying to block Felix's view of her body.

"What happened after I jumped?" Felix asked. He reached over and grabbed his shirt. It was still damp, but he wanted to get this girl more comfortable, and them being almost naked was not helping. He pulled it on, and started buttoning.

It seemed to work. She grabbed her own shirt and pulled it on, a bit more hastily than necessary. "There was a lake at the bottom. You blacked out. We almost drowned, but I dragged your half-dead body out of the water and into this cave."

"Are you an Adept?" Felix asked.

"I don't know what that is." She said cautiously.

Felix scratched his head. "I guess that means you're not from Vale." He grabbed his socks and pulled them over his feet. She was already fully dressed, save her large black coat. "Although, it doesn't surprise me. Nobody in Vale ever dressed like that. I assume you wear that to blend into the night?"

"You could say that." Xion answered. "I need new clothes, though. These have too many memories."

Good. She seemed to be loosening up. Perhaps he could figure out exactly what was going on.

"Where are you from, Xion?" Felix asked.

She thought about it for a minute. "A kingdom far from here."

"Where at?" He asked. "I've been all over Weyard. Wherever it is you're from, I've probably already been there."

"Not this place. I can't really tell you, it's kind of hard to explain."

Felix thought about what she said. In all his travels, he couldn't remember one place where people dressed in what she had on.

"I guess it doesn't matter where you're from." He said, trying to clear the awkward silence. "So what brings you to Angara?"

"Look, I'd rather not talk about me, okay?" She said. "I'd rather talk about you. Like, for example, why did you jump off that cliff?"

Felix looked down and chuckled. "I guess I was pretty drunk."

Xion just stared. "You were drunk? That's your excuse? We both almost died!"

"Nobody was forcing you to try to stop me."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Just let you kill yourself?"

"I wouldn't have died. I'm an Adept."

"I don't know what that is, but the fall knocked you out, and if I hadn't of been there, you would have drowned. You almost did even with me there."

Felix laughed. "You clearly aren't from around here. Most people from Vale want to push me into the chasm, not the other way around."

Xion was surprised. "Why would they hate you? What did you do?"

Felix laughed and pulled on his cloak. "Well, for one... I destroyed the mountain and the village that used to be here."

Xion stood agape. Felix rose and started looking around the cave. "How did you do something like that?" She exclaimed.

"It's a long story." He replied. "I didn't mean for it to happen, but well..."

Felix stopped and picked up one of the bloody bandages.

"Are these yours?"

Xion shook her head.

Felix dropped the bandage and looked outside the mouth of the cave. The lake they had landed in could be seen in the distance.

"Was this cave empty when you found it?" He asked.

"No, all this stuff was already here."

Felix grinned. "I was right. He survived. He survived and he was here!"

"Who was here?" Xion asked, somewhat confused by this man's strange behavior.

Felix turned to her, the grin fading from his face. "Alex. He's... An old friend..."

Xion thought back to Roxas and Axel, and her memories of them.

"So is that why you wanted to get down here so badly?" She asked. "So you could find your friend?"

Felix turned back to look outside. "Yeah. We have some catching up to do."

Xion stood up and joined him at the mouth of the cave. "So what now?"

Felix thought about it for a moment, looking up at the massive walls in the distance. "Well, there's no way we're climbing out of here. Even with Psynergy."

Xion didn't now what that word meant, but she decided not to mention it. She had to blend in after all, and she'd already screwed up by getting into this mess with this Felix guy.

"I dragged you into this, so it's my responsibility to get you out." He continued. "I suppose we could try heading north-west, towards Loho. If I remember correctly, that town's pretty close to sea-level. The terrain might be a bit bumpy, but it shouldn't be anything I can't take care of with a quick nudge."

Xion didn't understand much of what he was saying, but she did realize that he knew what he was talking about. Perhaps if she stuck with him, she could learn more about this world and how to blend in. Not to mention that she had no idea where this 'Loho' town was if that's where she was headed...

"And is this was my good friend Alex's cave like I suspect it is, then that means he's wounded." Felix continued. "So that's probably where he limped off to to recover."

"So we're going to this Loho town?" Xion asked.

"Well, I don't really know much about you, and you won't tell me where you came from or why you're here." Felix said. "But you did try to save my life, so I suppose I can trust you."

"Can I trust you?" Xion asked.

"You can. But I will need my sword back." Felix chuckled.

She'd entirely forgotten about his sword. She quickly grabbed it and handed it to him.

"I'm not crazy, by the way." He said, taking his sword from her.

That caught her off guard. "What do you-?"

"It just crossed my mind that you might think that, seeing as how we met. Sane people don't hurl themselves off cliffs." Felix laughed. "I was just stressed out and drunk. Trust me, I'm usually much more pleasant."

Felix stepped out of the cave into the early morning sun. He looked up at the oppressive walls of the chasm, taking in that he had finally made it down.

He thought of the camped villagers, and wondered if they'd started for Kalay yet. The conversation with Jenna the night before drifted into his mind and he frowned. She would definitely check for him before leaving. What would she think when she found his tent empty?

"What's wrong?" Xion asked, noticing his expression.

"Nothing." He said, shrugging. He stamped out what remained of the fire. "We should probably get moving as soon as possible. We don't have any food packed, and wilderness may be hard to find down here."

She nodded and they both stepped out of the cave. He got his bearings, and they started north-west, down through the massive depression.

As they walked, his thoughts drifted back to Jenna. He wished their last conversation had been a better one. He could send a messenger pigeon for her once he got to Loho, but it wouldn't be the same as a real good-bye.

He still hadn't decided if he would go to her wedding. The brotherly part of him wanted to. But the rest of him didn't. He was banished from Vale, but he should still be allowed in Kalay. Ivan would probably be able to persuade Hammet to allow him in, over the ramblings of the Vale elders.

He was only really a villain in Vale. Everywhere else, he should be a hero.

If what he'd done wasn't a secret.

And even if he did decide to go, getting there in time might be an issue.

But before any of that, he needed to get this first mess straightened out. He'd made the mistake of jumping into the chasm, and this girl had suffered for it. Before he did anything else, he had to get her to Loho where she'd be okay.

And if he found Alex...


	3. Burn

Xion followed Felix for three long days.

She had never been so paranoid in her short life. The whole time, she was looking over her shoulder, expecting to see a black cloaked figure behind her. And when she wasn't looking over her shoulder, she was warily watching Felix.

She had also never traveled so much, either. As a person used to jumping from world to world through dark corridors, she wasn't used to actually walking from point A to point B. While her daily battles with the heartless had ensured her plenty of exercise, the constant walking was hard on her inexperienced feet.

Felix was obviously no stranger to travel. On the first day, he had set a pace that she had had no trouble matching in the first hour. But once her feet started to hurt, she began to struggle to keep up. Realizing this, he had taken it slower after that, but she could see he was still in a hurry.

"I don't want to waste any time." He told her as they had walked. "If we aren't able to find anything to eat, we won't be able to afford to take our time. We could starve before we make it to Loho."

She nodded, hoping that wouldn't be the case.

"And that's not even considering the other danger." Felix muttered grimly. "The crevice is fairly new, so they shouldn't have migrated here yet, but..."

He turned to her. "Can you fight?"

She considered. It wasn't common for women to be trained in combat back in many of the worlds she had traveled through. And if she told him that she could, she might have to reveal her keyblade, any news of which would be a beacon to the Organization. And summoning a key-shaped sword from nothing would definitely be a story he would tell at a bar. But if they ran into any heartless, she might have to.

"I've had some training..." She lied meekly. "But I don't have a weapon..."

"I see." He said, continuing down the path. "Well, if we encounter any monsters, just stay close to me."

This irritated her a bit. As a keyblade wielder, and a member of Organization XIII, she doubted she would have to rely on this drunken warrior's meager swordplay to protect her. She could more than take care of herself.

She said nothing though. Even in their first day of travel, she had realized that they both had things they weren't going to be sharing with each other.

They stuck close to the river as they traveled. Felix explained to her that since they didn't have any canteens or gourds, they would have to keep close to the river so they could stay hydrated.

Felix's fears about food proved to be unfounded, however. On the first night, they stopped to make camp with they supplies they had taken from the cave. Xion's stomach was growling in a way it had never done before, and she decided it must be from hunger. The Organization had always kept her well-fed before and after missions, so she had never really experienced hunger before. Even during the mission where she couldn't find that disappearing lizard, and had been stuck in Twilight Town for days, she had had munny that she had bought food with in the town.

Felix must have been hungry, too. He drew a small knife from his belt and started carving a stick with it. Once it was nice and sharp, he waded out into the center of the river and began stabbing at the water with it. Xion was about to ask him what he was doing, when he climbed out of the river, with a fish on the end of his stick.

He cooked the fish over the fire slowly. When it was nice and crispy, he cut it in half and handed one piece to Xion. She had never eaten fish before, and was a little apprehensive about the smell. She hesitantly pulled off a piece and put it in her mouth.

It wasn't bad. She'd had better, but it wasn't awful. They didn't have any supplies, so they were forced to eat with their hands. They both sat there next to the fire, and quietly ate their small meal.

Afterwards, Felix conjured the small blanket they had taken from the cave. He handed it to Xion, and she curled up near the fire and went to sleep. Felix stayed up silently watching the fire.

It was a very uncomfortable sleep for Xion. Being so used to her bed back at the castle, the hard ground was unwelcoming to her soft back. But after a full day of Organization work, followed by a night of falling off cliffs, swimming and carrying Felix's heavy body, followed then by a full day of travel, she was exhausted and she fell asleep quickly.

When Xion woke the next morning, Felix was right where he had been, still watching the fire. She wondered if he had gotten any sleep at all.

They continued on like this for three days. Through the second day of their journey, more trees began to appear, and the ground began to level out. Their surroundings grew greener, with grass replacing the gray rock they had been traveling over.

Felix managed to catch two fish the second day. Xion was thankful, as she was starving. She wolfed down her fish like she had never eaten. Felix chuckled, but said nothing more, despite her glares.

Felix's behavior confused her. At times, he was very friendly and open, easier to talk to than even Axel. But then, for seemingly no reason, he would shut her out, becoming totally silent and ignoring everything she said. In these moments, interacting with him in any way was like trying to talk to a stone. She'd never seen a Somebody whose behavior was so odd. He was a mystery to her. Though she had only ever really known half of Organization XIII and Riku, she had grown used to consistent personalities from the people she was around. Felix was something else entirely.

She wasn't sure why he had these extreme personality shifts, but she decided not to question him about it. Although he had assured her that his mind was stable the day they had met, she wasn't convinced. She had never been more entrigued by a person in her single year of life. From his behavior the moment they had met, to his quirky mannerisms in his good moods, he continually confused her.

One thing she noticed that seemed to send him into his silent mood was the mention of his friend, Alex. She wasn't sure why this bothered him so much, but she was at least knowdgeble enough about human interaction to know better than to ask him about. He had mentioned that his friend was injured, and he also seemed to think that those bandages back at the cave had been Alex's. Perhaps he was merely concerned with his friend's safety. She seemed to recall him mentioning Alex briefly during their first encounter, before he leaped into the chasm, but she could not remember much about that night. Whatever his concerns were, it was obvious to her that his feelings on the matter were very strong, with the way his eyes grew distant. His feelings for his friend must have been strong.

Much like her friends' feelings when Xion had lost the ability to use her keyblade. The lengths that both Roxas and Axel had gone to trying to keep that bit of knowledge from Saix and the others filled her with warmth when she thought about it. They were true friends, especially Roxas. He had fought heartless in Beast's Castle with a stick just to help her get her keyblade back.

He really cared that much about her, she thought. Odd, considering that they weren't supposed to have hearts. And this wasn't the first time she had noticed something like this. Whatever feelings she and Roxas did have, she figured, were due to them being Nobodies of Sora, who was special in many ways.

Still, they definitely didn't have hearts. She wasn't sure how she could tell, but something just felt missing. They had more feelings than there peers in the Organization, even more so than Axel, but it was still nowhere near what Somebodies felt.

Perhaps when she figured out some way to solve her dilemma, and they both got hearts of their own, they could explore these feelings further. But until then, she had to focus on what was in front of her. And that was avoiding the Organization, and finding a way to restore Sora without Roxas and herself having to die.

And as much as she didn't like it, she would have to rely on this strange warrior to do that. He clearly knew a lot about the world they were in, and information like that could come in handy if the Organization found out where she was.

Though in his good moods they had plenty of conversation, they had quite a lengthy chat during the second night, after she had eaten a whole fish. She told Felix about Roxas and Axel, though leaving out details about the Organization. She also told him about her travels with Riku, and even tossed in a few details about Namine. She was forced to invent a lot of filler to explain certain things, such as why she ran away with Riku, but in the end he didn't seem suspicious.

After she was finished with her story, during which Felix had been very patient and interested, he told her about his life.

He was much more open than she was as he spoke, thought he didn't mention his friend Alex at all, which she noticed. He told her about his childhood in his hometown of Vale, growing up with his sister Jenna, and their friends Isaac and Garet. He laughed and smiled during this, no doubt full of nostalgia as he told her of his adventures with his childhood friends.

He told her about a band of warriors from the north who came and took him away after nearly destroying his village. He then told her about Alchemy's sealing, and how the world had been wasting away. How he had been forced to return to the village, steal its treasures, and abduct his sister.

How they had traveled around the world, lighting the lighthouses, and how he and Jenna had re-bonde through this. How they met others, and had saved the world.

Xion listened through this, trying to assimilate it all. Though she didn't understand all the terms he mentioned, she could see it meant a lot to him. And she was glad to see him laughing.

It was short-lived, though. His eyes grew dark as he told her of how he returned to find his home gone, and its inhabitants, though alive, hating him. They had banished him from their company, which meant that he couldn't go to his sister's wedding. And then his lover had left him.

"And that's about where you met me." He concluded. "I had been trying to find a way down into the chasm for weeks, and was just tired of it. Jenna and the others were leaving in the morning, and Mia had returned to Imil."

There is...

Xion was rather confused at the moment. Despite everything that she had been told in her year of existence, she could swear she felt pity for this man before her. She couldn't have a heart, but she still felt something for him. She had from the beginning, when she had felt such an urge to help him when he was about to jump.

There is a way...

"In any case..." Felix sighed. "It's late, and we've still got a day of travel left before we get anywhere near Loho."

He put out the fire, and spread out on the ground, still lacking a sleeping bag.

Xion curled up facing away from Felix, trying to ignore her conflicted thoughts. But she was also trying to ignore the voice in her head. Despite being quite used to voices and hallucinations and blackouts, this was a voice she had never heard before.

There is a way, but you'll have to trust me...

The other Nobodies showed emotions, but they were just reactions to situations they pulled from their memories. Much like acting out a scene in a play. But with Roxas and Xion...

Roxas was a special Nobody. As was Namine, in a different way. But Xion... What was she? A Nobody? A Replica? A distorted memory? Even the Nobodies didn't think she deserved to exist.

She wouldn't be getting any sleep like this...

There is a way, but you'll have to trust me. You can exist. On your own terms.

But you will have to trust me...

 

On their third day, as the sun was reaching for the horizon, they reached Loho. Xion had never seen a place like it. It was small, dirty, and populated by small, dwarf-like people with thick beards. The buildings were carved into the stone around them rather than built, and the streets were covered in debris from all the mining.

Felix led Xion through the streets, though he immediately picked up that she was uneager to show her face in public.

"It's this outfit." She told him. "I hate it. I just want to get out of it, as soon as possible."

Indeed, she could feel her strange clothes drawing the eyes of the dwarf people around her. She would have asked Felix what was wrong with them, had she not been so conscious of their staring. Every one of them seemed to be a screeching alarm announcing her presence to the Organization.

"I see." Felix laughed. He handed her a small bag of unfamiliar coins. "There's a general store somewhere on the other side of the street. Pick out some new clothes, and meet me outside the Inn. I'll get us a room."

Xion stared at the purse. "Where did you get these? I thought all you had on you when you fell was your sword and a bottle of booze."

Felix laughed again. "I always keep some gold with me. Even when I'm not expecting to leave on a journey."

He started towards the Inn. "Just don't spend it all! We'll still need some to pay for our room!"

The street weren't crowded, but every one of the dwarves was looking right at her. It could have just been her imagination, but they seemed almost to know who she was, and what they needed to do with her.

She was just being paranoid. She had to be.

Xion found the general store and stepped inside. It was empty, save for a dwarf behind the counter, who was also giving her a death stare.

She quickly picked a black shirt, some travel clothes, and a dark cloak. She paid the mute dwarf, and ducked inside the bathroom to change. After shedding the only outfit she had ever worn, she pulled on her new clothes and stepped outside. The dwarf at the counter was still staring at her.

Something was wrong here. It was only natural for her outlandish clothes to get her some looks, and being female would also guarantee some male eyes being drawn to her body, but this...

This was just creepy.

She quickly stepped outside. Almost as soon as she was through the front door, she heard the lock click behind her. The streets seemed to be empty now, and the sun was starting to set.

She breathed a sigh of relief. At least the creepy dwarves were gone. She was about to start for the Inn when her heart stopped.

"Hello, Xion."

 

Felix stepped inside the Inn and walked up the counter. A bored-looking dwarf leaned on the counter, flipping through a book.

"I'll take a room for two, please." He said.

"Cash up front." The dwarf said without looking up from his book.

Xion had all his money. He would have to wait until she got back from her shopping.

"My companion has my money. I'll pay you as soon as she gets here." He said.

"You can have to room when you pay." The dwarf said, still not looking up. "Those are the rules."

Felix took a seat on the other side of the room, tapping his hands on the chair. Perhaps he should have waited until he had payed for the room, and just took her shopping the next day.

What if she spent all his money? Hopefully she wasn't like Jenna when she got to a new town. Memories drifted back to him of his first visit to Loho. He had only been to the small mining town twice before. On his first visit, he and Isaac had figured out that they could use the town's cannon to blast away the iceberg blocking their way to Prox. After Magma Rock, they had returned and left with a cannon fixed to their ship.

It had been during their trip to Magma Rock that he and Mia had begun their relationship. He had saved her from slipping into a pool of lava, and that had sparked it for some reason.

And then after the return from Mars Lighthouse, Mia had been the only one who had stayed with him at the edge of the chasm. Isaac had stayed with his parents, Garet with his, and Jenna with their parents.

Jenna had insited that they remain united as a family, but Felix couldn't stay with the villagers, and their parents wouldn't leave everyone else to camp near him.

The other members of their group; Ivan, Sheba, and Piers, had already left. Ivan for Kalay, and Sheba and Piers for Lalivero.

Mia had stayed with him for a whole month, before she left. He could still remember the morning she had left him...

As he woke, he saw that her bags were already packed. He turned to her in confusion.

"What happened? Why are you leaving, Mia?"

She refused to face him. Her back was turned and her arms were crossed.

What she said after that hurt him worse than any blade he had ever felt upon his flesh. She grabbed her things and left without another word.

He went for the chest under his bed. He took out the bottle of wine he had been saving for a special occasion. He downed it in ten minutes.

When the trader came through, he bought all the ale the man had. He had saved a lot of gold during his travels, and bought the trader's entire stock quickly.

He only had one desire left now. Only one thing left in his life to do...

He had to find Alex and make him pay. Make him feel his pain.

Slowly...

Speaking of Alex...

"Hey, have you seen a guy with weird hair pass through?" Felix asked the dwarf. "Long blue hair, blue robes, cocky attitude? He's a friend of mine."

That got the reading dwarf to look up. "There have been all kinds of guys with weird hair coming through here lately, lemme tell ya. Why just the other day, I saw this one bloke, and did he have some HAIR..."

Before the dwarf could finish, another burst through the door, with a grim look on his face.

"It's her."

 

Xion froze. She knew who it was just from those two words. She could recognize that voice anywhere.

"New duds, huh? You'll never learn, will you?"

She slowly turned around to face him. Green eyes and spikey red hair. The black coat of the Organization. He stood there, leaning against the wall at the edge of the alley of the store.

"You knew what would happen, yet you ran away again." Axel said. "I'm disappointed in you, Xion."

"H-how did you find me so quickly?" She muttered.

"Xigbar overheard your chat with Roxas." He told her. "Roxas is in hot water, but that's nothing compared to you. Saix wants you dead. He told me to not even bother bringing all of you back. Just your head."

Xion was struck. Not only by the fact that Axel was here, but also by how unflinchingly he spoke of decapitating her.

He doesn't have a heart. Your death would mean nothing to him. Do not fool yourself into thinking that he's your friend.

"So, what?" She demanded. "Are you going to knock me out and take me back to them again? Just like you did in Twilight Town? Or are you going to kill me?"

Axel sighed. "Honestly, Xion? I'm not sure what to do with you right now. The Organization doesn't tolerate it when someone goes AWOL once. Your status as a keyblade wielder was what saved you the first time. But after running twice? You know they won't let you live."

Xion took a step back. "I can't go back. I don't want to fight you Axel, but I will if I have to."

Axel laughed, stepping off the wall. "You think you can hold your own against me? How many times do I have to do this before you get the point, Xion? The Organization is all we have! It's not great, but it's better than nothing! And what little bit we do have, well you just keep throwing that away!" He approached her.

He's going to attack you. You can't beat him. You're not strong enough. You have to flee.

"But where...?" Xion whispered.

Felix can help you.

"What did you say?" Axel demanded. "Frankly, I'm in a pretty bad mood right now Xion. It ticks me off that they keep sending me after you, and it ticks me off even more that you keep running in the first place. Do you have any idea how much I have to talk down Saix just to keep you alive after all the crap you do? So if you have anything to say, say it now."

Xion summoned her keyblade.

Or at least she tried to. Usually there was a flash of light, and it appeared in her hand. But it never came. There was nothing.

"Oh, no..." She gasped.

Had she lost it again? No, that couldn't be it. The last time that happened, the flash of light would at least appear. But now, there was nothing... She was completely cut off.

"No keyblade, Xion?" Axel said. "That's fantastic. That'll help out so much when I try to argue you back into Saix's favor. 'Yeah, she ran away, and she'll also useless to you, but you should still keep her alive for novelty value'."

In anger, she wished she could throw a fireball in Axel's face, but she couldn't even do that. She still didn't have any magic equipped. She had no keyblade and no magic. She was helpless. All she could do was back away from him.

Keep him talking. Draw his attention to a different topic. Stall him.

"Some friend you are!" Xion spat. "Mocking and threatening me! I guess all those smiles and jokes up on the clocktower were fake too, huh?"

"Oh, you don't get to go there!" Axel said. "I never welcomed you in to that ritual! That was Roxas and I. That was our thing! I was actually jealous when I found out he was taking you up there! But I said nothing, because I'm such a nice guy!"

"Yeah, we can see that." Said a new voice.

They both turned to the newcomer. Felix stood beside them, his arms crossed.

"Felix..." Xion gasped.

"So this is your friend, huh Xion?" Felix asked, but keeping his eyes on Axel. "The one you told me about? Yeah, he's a keeper."

"Who's this, Xion?" Axel asked. "Your bodyguard?"

"Maybe." Felix said, sizing him up. "Nice hair."

"Speak for yourself, ponytail." Axel replied. "You and Xigbar would get along well, you both have such bad taste."

"The dwarves have been expecting you, it would seem." Felix said to Xion. "Aparently this guy here has been using them as his eyes and ears."

"Felix, how much have you heard?" Xion asked.

"Enough to realize that you've been keeping things from me." Felix said, still not taking his eyes off Axel. "But also long enough to see why you have. An 'Organization' that wants to kill you? I can understand why you don't want to advertise that."

"Beat it, native." Axel said. "You don't want to get hurt. Just stay out of our business."

Felix drew his sword.

"I'm making it my business."

"Felix, no!" Xion exclaimed. "He'll kill you!"

Axel laughed. "I don't think you realize just how lucky you already are. I've killed people twice as strong as you without a second's hesitation. Put your sword away and get out of here."

"I may not fully understand the circumstances here..." Felix said. "But I do know that I'm not about to stand by and watch you drag this girl off to her death."

Felix is your answer. Stay with him. He can help you.

Axel's face twisted into an ugly sneer. "You think you can take me?" Xion could barely recognize her friend right now.

Felix's only answer was him pointing his sword at Axel's chest.

The air seemed heavier from the tension. Realizing that things were about to get ugly, she began to back away from the two men.

"Go ahead." Felix said, as calm as stone. "You talk a big game. Let's see you back it up."

Axel stretched his arms to his sides and summoned his chakrams in a burst of fire. "Fine! If you want to die, then let's go!"

The assassin threw one of his firey chakrams at Felix, who rolled out of the way before it even came close to him. Axel brought the other blade upon Felix as he drew near, aiming for the warrior's throat. Felix smoothly blocked it with his sword, and twisted the blade around, sending the chakram flying out of Axel's hand. The other chakram came spining back like a boomerang, returning to Axel's outstretched hand.

Axel jumped back a few feet, and summoned his missing chakram to his hand in a small burst of fire. Felix stood with his sword ready, waiting for Axel to make the next move. The assassin did so, charged forward with fire bursting out of the ground around him, his chakram blades raised.

Felix leaped backwards, with his hands raised. A wall of stone burst out of the road beneath them, separating him from Axel.

"Is that all you've got?" Axel laughed, blasting away the wall with fire. The stone wall exploded in a cloud of dust.

As the dust cleared, Felix was nowhere to be found.

"Where are you?" Axel shouted. "Have you run away?"

There was no answer Felix was nowhere to be found.

Axel turned back to face her. "He ran, that coward. Now Xion, where were we..."

Axel was so occupied talking to her, he didn't notice the pile of sand behind him rising up and forming into the shape of a man. Xion's eyes went wide, and Axel noticed this.

The assassin spun around, but too late. Felix's fist connected with Axel's jaw, and he stumbled, dropping his chakrams. The blades disappeared as they hit the ground.

Felix must have punched him hard, because Axel was no light weight. The impact was so hard that Axel spun around and fell to his knees, spitting up blood.

The warrior stood over him, his arms crossed. "C'mon, get up. We're not done yet."

Axel climbed to his knees, and wiped the blood on his chin on the sleeve of his robe. "You're stronger than I thought. I'm gonna have to get serious about this!" He summoned his chakrams back and they continued their battle.

 

As the fight raged on, the street of Loho they were in got torn up. While not exactly a pretty town to begin with, but that particular area was devastated by their duel. Soon the street was littered through with crushed rock, scorch marks, and half-shattered stone structures.

Xion had stood on the sides the entire time, watching the battle unfold. Unable to use both keyblade and magic, all Xion could do was get out of the way. She would have helped Felix fight if she had a weapon, but even is that had been the case, she might have hesitated. She wanted Felix to win, so she didn't have to return to the Organization, but she also didn't want to see Axel get hurt, despite the things he had said to her earlier.

But Axel didn't want to kill her. His wisecrack about convincing the Organization to keep her had been cruel, but it also revealed what was in his mind. He wanted her to live, but he also didn't want to defy the Organization. He couldn't turn on them like she had done. He was afraid of them.

Perhaps his attitude was because of the indecision he was in. He didn't know who to side with, and it was stressing him, pushing him to his limits. He was on the verge of a breakdown.

Xion then got an idea. Perhaps if she calmed Axel down, and just explained to situation to him, he could help her. He'd gone against the Organization before...

But there was a problem. How could she do this while he and Felix were fighting to the death?

She jumped aside in surprise as a crate near her burst apart, struck by a fireball. Not for the first time, she wished she could do something to help. She felt so useless.

Felix and Axel had been at it for a while. They both were showing signs of exhaustion, and their clothes were slashed up and burnt at the edges.

The two fighters were almost evenly matched. Axel fought aggresively, using his chakrams and fire magic to attack relentlessly. Felix, on the other hand, fought defensively, counter attacking Axel whenever he slipped up.

Despite their equal skill, the balance of power was beginning to slip. Axel's attacks were becoming more desperate, and his mistakes more frequent, as the battle raged on. As such, Felix was relaxing his defenses, and starting to attack more offensively. Soon, the Venus Adept was forcing Axel back, who was doing everything he could to block Felix's fluid swordplay.

He wasn't even bothering with psynergy anymore. Axel had stopped using his fire moves a short while back, so Felix had assumed he was out of psynergy or whatever it was his skills ran on. Retaining caution, of course, as it could have been a ruse.

Unlikely, though. The assassin was showing signs of weariness, and his strokes was getting sloppy. The man was skilled, but Felix had fought enemies stronger than he before. Karst and Agatio he had fought alongside the other members of his group, and even they had been tougher than this man.

He could have ended it a while back. He was more or less just playing with Axel at this point. In fact, he could have ended the battle more than halfway through, but he'd been cautious. Once an enemy used all their moves on you, and you figured out their strengths and weaknesses, a battle was easy. Felix had expeced a trump card, but Axel didn't seem to have one.

The fight was pretty much over, and Axel realized his. Felix could see it in his eyes. The man was tired, breathing heavily, and could barely muster the strength to raise his weapons and block Felix's attacks. Felix was tired too, but nothing like man in front of him. The guy was panting like a dog.

Felix grinned. He couldn't wait to do exactly this with Alex. Ironic, as their names were nearly identical. Axel and Alex. Funny.

He could already see the cocky Mercury Adept sneering much like Axel had done before the battle had begun...

He could see him making wisecracks and sneering as he drew his weapon...

He could see them dueling, his enemy so convinced that they had the upper hand...

He could see his opponent's face twist in anger when he realized that the tables had turned...

He could see his face growing pale as he realized who it was winning the battle...

He could see the previously cocky, sneering face showing genuine fear as he realized he had no further chance of victory, or even escape...

He could see the fear quickly morphing into panic. Or perhaps despair. Either would be satifactory...

He could hear the almost whispered words...

Begging for mercy...

But he wasn't getting any...

He raised his sword...

"FELIX, STOP!"

He blinked. Xion had grabbed his wrist, which was in the air. He was holding his sword above his head, ready to swing.

The fight was over. Axel was on the ground, and his chakrams were gone. The assassin's angry, sneering attitiude was gone, and he was almost crying as he begged quietly to Felix. Begging Felix not to kill him.

Felix turned around to face Xion. There was a look in her eyes. Something between concern and fear. The same look that had been in her eyes the night they had first met, when he had thrown her to the ground in rage and saw her face the first time. Her eyes were so blue...

Felix dropped his sword. He couldn't remember getting to this point. He couldn't remember enjoying the thought of murdering another human being. Not before Mia had left him.

He was constantly masking the pain. It was a constant struggle, not to let any of it out.

His lips trembled momentarily. A bit of the pain was seeping through the shield he usually kept up. He just couldn't help it.

Xion noticed this. The fear vanished from her eyes, only the concern remaining. She pulled him close to her, wrapping her arms around him.

She held him like that for a while. It had only been a few weeks, but he had almost forgotten what it felt like to be held that way. Time seemed almost suspended, but Felix was still aware of Axel's heavy, exhausted breathing.

Perhaps Xion realized that there was something wrong with him. A small part of him hoped this was true, but the rest was coming back to reality.

Xion finally broke the embrace. "Are you... Are you okay?"

Felix didn't know what to say. So he just nodded.

She smiled. "Good."

Then her eyes rolled back. Felix managed to catch her before she hit the ground.


	4. The Line Begins to Blue

Three Days Ago...

Isaac stood at the edge of the abyss, considering. He had seen Felix leap off of a tower once, but that had been to rescue Sheba. His friend had fallen upon hard days, but Isaac had a hard time accepting what everyone was telling him. And yet, it was hard to deny as well. It just seemed so... unlike him.

Suicide?

Isaac ran his hands through his blonde hair and sighed. Perhaps he could have done something to prevent this. He could have fought the elders. He could have grabbed the fat old pigs by their collars and told them how things would be.

And Mia... Isaac could hardly believe his old friend could be so cruel. Remembering the beautiful, compassionate healer that Isaac himself had once fancied, who saw nothing in her that would have suggested heartlessness. But how could she have even claimed to care about Felix when she did what she did? Leaving him in such a cruel way just when he needed her the most. It was just wrong.

He could have called off the wedding, he realized. It may have alleviated some of the stress on Felix. Perhaps if he'd done that, Felix wouldn't have leaped into the chasm.

But had Felix done it? Or had he just left? Isaac couldn't decide. Things had gotten bad for him for sure, but he didn't think Felix would have killed himself. After all those years in Prox, after everything he did to release Alchemy. After everything he gave up to do so...

Jenna wasn't going to believe it. Not after he'd survived the boulder four years ago. But she would still be hurt.

Isaac heard the flaps of Felix's tent rustle, and turned to see Jenna emerging. "Did you find anything?" He asked his fiance.

"No, nothing." She replied. "Nothing at all. No note, no maps... Nothing. In fact, most of his things were still there. His supplies, most of his gold. All of his travel provisions. Isaac, I don't think he planned on leaving..."

Isaac went to her side and held her.

"I won't believe it." Jenna said. "I won't believe it until I see a body. No matter what those old fools say."

"Don't listen to them." Isaac told her, remembering with repressed rage the elders' smug reaction when they had discovered Felix's empty tent.

The saddest part had been the whole reason the elders had come to his tent. They were going to allow Felix to travel with his family and stay in Kalay until the wedding was over, giving him time to say his goodbyes and prepare for a new life elsewhere. It had been mostly the result of Jenna and her constant arguments with the old fools, who agreed on a compromise only to shut her up.

But when they had arrived to find him gone, leaving behind a pile of empty ale bottles, they had claimed with smug smiles that he had killed himself. Some fresh footprints discovered in the mud outside on the edge of the chasm were all the proof they'd needed to declare him dead.

"Don't listen to them." Isaac repeated. "They're just fat, old idiots. He's alive. He's got to be."

And yet, Isaac had his doubts. The last time he had seen his friend, shortly after Mia had left, he could barely recognize him. Felix had been agonizing over papers on his desk, and had barely even spoken to him.

Felix and Jenna's parents didn't even know yet. Isaac had asked the elders not to tell them, that he and Jenna would do so. The old men more or less just shrugged, not seeming to care if they even found out at all.

"I saw him last night." Jenna said, holding back tears. "He was in so much pain. I didn't know what to do for him. He was so lost. But still... I never thought he would..."

He would what? Leave... or kill himself...? The unfinished sentence would never be answered. Isaac didn't know what to say to this, so he just held her tighter. He felt the slight bulge of her growing stomach against his.

His child...

"Jenna, we can't know for sure if Felix is gone, but if he is, then there's nothing we can do for him."

She looked up at him, confused.

"We have to focus on our child, okay? It's a long journey to Kalay, and with your condition, we'll have to be very careful okay? You have to be strong."

Jenna wiped her eyes and nodded. "You're right..."

Isaac kissed her cheek. "If Felix is alive, he can take care of himself. He knows where we'll be, and we know he's not cruel enough to leave us in the dark. So if he's still around, he'll get in touch with us."

Jenna nodded again, a bit more hope in her eyes.

"And this is Felix we're talking about." Isaac continued. "How many times have we thought him gone, only for him to show up fine? First there was the boulder, then Venus Lighthouse. Not to mention all the insanity during the journey. It takes a lot to take that guy out."

Jenna almost smiled at that. It pained Isaac to see her sad, and he was lifted a bit to see some of her pain gone. However, her eyes were still heavy.

"Garet's waving to us." Isaac noted, seeing his friend up on a hill in the distance. "I'm going to go see what he needs. Why don't you go join the others at the camp, okay? I'll be with you in a few minutes."

"I'd actually like a few more minutes here, if that's okay..." Jenna said, glancing back at the empty tent.

Isaac smiled. "Take all the time you need."

Garet stood atop a large hill overlooking the camps. From up there, he could see all the former people of Vale moving about like tiny black dots. As Isaac ran to join him, Garet started walking down the hill with his hands in his pockets.

"Well?" Garet asked as Isaac reached him. "Anything?"

Isaac shook his head.

Garet sighed. "How's Jenna taking it?"

Isaac glanced back at the lone tent at the edge of the abyss. "Not well. Despite what she says, I think she anticipated something like this. She knows her brother better than any of us, and she says he was in a lot of pain when she last saw him." Isaac sighed.

"She doesn't think that he... you know...?"

Isaac shook his head. "I'm not sure. I think she feels he just left, but it still hurts her."

"It hurts all of us." Garet said. "Dammit, Felix better have been attacked by a dragon or something, because if he just left like this..."

"Jenna says that he's been a mess. We've all seen it man, but he's her brother. Things were going perfect for her, but Felix just couldn't get a break." Isaac sighed. "I think she blames herself."

"There's only one person we can blame..." Garet growled.

Isaac turned to him. "Alex?"

Garet shook his head. "No. He's dead. I'm talking about her."

"M-Mia?"

Garet nodded grimly.

"Look, I'm not saying what she did was okay, but I don't think she would have left if she had thought he would..."

"So you think he did kill himself?" Garet asked suddenly.

Isaac ran his hands through his hair. "I don't want to... But I do."

Garet looked to the north. "Jenna's going to need you even more during the trip to Kalay."

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.

"I won't be there. I'm going to Imil."

Dark images flashed through Isaac's mind. "Garet..."

"It's not what you think, Isaac. I'm not going to hurt her." Garet said. "But I will get some answers out of her. That, I promise you."

"But the wedding..."

"I'll be there in time. It's what, six months away? I can get to Imil from here in a month, easy. A few days to question the bitch, and a month and a half to get from there to Kalay. I can cut that time in half if I run."

Isaac sighed. First, the others take off, then Mia leaves, then Felix leaps over the chasm. And now Garet was leaving, too.

All their friends were separated. It was down to just him and Jenna. Kraden had gone back to Tolbi to share twenty years of research on Alchemy with his peers, but he said via messenger pigeon that he'd be back before the wedding. Sheba was in Lalivero, Ivan in Kalay, and Piers had last wrote from Champa, where he was visiting Briggs. Everyone had promised to reunite for the wedding, but Felix was gone now and Mia wasn't responding to anyone's letters.

Apparently the good old days were gone, Isaac figured.

"I already told my family where I was going." Garet said, picking up a bag from the ground that Isaac had failed to notice before. "Let Jenna know that I'm sorry for what happened, okay?"

"I will."

Garet gave Isaac a strong hug, and pat him on the back. "You get those people to Kalay safely. I'll join you there before you know it."

And then he was gone.

 

Three days later...

Felix stared Axel straight in the eyes. Though his eyes were closed, Felix wondered if how much the man was perceiving. He had certainly been unconscious when Felix dragged him up to his room in the Inn and bound him. Felix had also gagged him too, not wanting to listen to his annoying voice if he woke up.

On the other side of the room, Xion lay on the bed beside the window. It had been difficult, carrying them both, but Felix had pulled it off. The dwarf innkeeper had been rather freaked out when he arrived carrying two unconscious people, but Felix paid for his room and gave the dwarf a look that shut him up quickly.

Felix hadn't been sure how to bind the man, as he could easily summon those chakram blades of his and cut the ropes. He had activated a Jupiter Djinni he usually kept on standby, and placed a psynergy seal on Axel. Hopefully this would keep him from throwing fire around. He had then bound him using rope he quickly grabbed at the general store (paid for, of course). Felix also tied his hands closed into fists. He figured that if Axel couldn't open his hands, he couldn't summon his weapons.

Though not even an Adept could have escaped from this situation, Felix was still cautious. He pulled a chair up and watched Axel fiercely, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. If the man so much as opened his eyes, Felix's sword would be at his throat.

Felix was so paranoid because he knew that Axel was no Adept. Sure, a first glance suggested that he was a Mars Adept, but Felix quickly saw through this. All that fire he'd been throwing around had not been psynergy. Felix could tell just by looking at it. And summoning weapons from nothing? Felix had never seen anything like him.

Perhaps some new power created by the release of Alchemy? No, that couldn't be it. Felix had beaten him, but Axel was obviously an experienced fighter. He definitely had more than a few months of training under his belt.

The black coat he wore was so alien, too. The same coat that Xion had been wearing, so eager to get rid of.

Was Xion like him? Did she have the same abilities that he had? If so, why had she not fought back? She had told him the day before that Axel was her friend. Perhaps he had betrayed her.

Perhaps she was lying to him. How ironic that would be, considering Felix's lying to her about Alex. He wasn't sure why, but he just had a strong urge not to tell her what he really planned to do when he found his 'friend'. And after the circumstances of their first meeting, he didn't think it would be a good idea to tell her about his homicidal fantasies.

Felix sighed. He was exhausted. He wanted to lay down on his bed and rest after his battle with Axel, but he couldn't take the risk of the man escaping while he slept, recovering, and returning to kill Felix by stabbing him from behind. He didn't fully understand what Axel was capable of, and needed Xion to wake up and tell him.

He turned his head to glance at Xion. She slept serenely on the bed where Felix had placed her, wearing the new clothes she had picked out. Though it was no longer the black coat she was wearing, her new clothes were still pretty dark. Old habits, Felix figured.

He'd hadn't even gotten the chance to figure out why she had passed out yet. She was such a mystery to him. He barely knew anything about her. Where she came from, how she grew up, what kind of friends she'd had in her youth. Not to mention what this 'Organization' was, or why she had left and hid from them.

Or what she'd done to make them want to kill her.

All he really knew about her was that she had three friends: Axel, Roxas, and some guy named Riku. Felix also recalled her mentioning a Namine. And he now knew that one of these three friends had tracked her down and tried to kill her.

Perhaps he was taking a huge risk, protecting her. Perhaps this organization would be after him now that he was involved.

It didn't matter. As long as he took care of Alex, it didn't matter what happened after that. And assuming they weren't much stronger than Axel was, he could probably take care of them. He couldn't fight an army, but he could handle powerful enemies. He'd fought Karst and Agatio, not to mention the hundreds of monsters he'd encountered during his quest. And of course, the Doom Dragon.

The Organization seemed pretty serious, but Felix wasn't concerned with them right now. He was more interested in this Xion girl and her story.

And at that very moment, he wished he knew why she had passed out.

 

Three white, pod-like structures stood before a small, kneeling blonde girl in white. She was alone for the moment, but she figured that wouldn't last very long. She could already hear rushed footsteps echoing through the almost empty mansion, and being that there were only two other people in the building at the time, she deduced which were more likely to come to see her.

And she knew why he was coming, too. Why he was rushing with such haste. He had heard her scream.

The door burst open and DiZ rushed in, racing to her side.

"What happened?" His strong voice asked.

Namine couldn't speak for the moment. She was struggling just to keep conscious. Her head hurt worse than she could ever remember it.

"Namine!" DiZ demanded. "Are you okay? I heard a scream."

"Some..." She struggled to speak. "Something... happened..."

DiZ helped her to her feet. "What exactly?"

"Someone got..." She nearly fell over, suddenly very dizzy. DiZ caught her and kept her standing. "The connection... With the Nobody Xion..."

"What connection?" DiZ asked her.

"The one I... I had with her." Namine felt short of breath. "As she's part... Of Sora... Someone broke it..."

Realizing that she needed a minute to recover, DiZ led her to her drawing room, where she sat down at her desk. She rested her head in her hands.

"What exactly happened?" DiZ asked her once she had recovered a bit.

"Xion fled from the Organization three days ago." Namine said. "To a world I've never seen before. I know this, because she came from Sora, and all the pieces are connected. I was trying to track her through this, trying to find a way to retrieve Sora's memories from her. But she decided something, and fled from the Organization."

"And what exactly did she decide?" DiZ asked.

Namine shook her head. "I'm not sure. But it involved strong feelings against Sora and the Organization."

DiZ scoffed at the idea of Nobodies having any feelings at all. Namine didn't notice this, as she was still recovering from her incident.

"And why did this connection break, then? Surely the Nobody was not able to do something psychic enough to do you physical harm."

Namine rubbed her head as he mentioned it. Just the memory of the attack was enough to make her head hurt. "No, it wasn't her. It was... something else... Something very old and powerful."

"Were you able to see what it was?" DiZ inquired.

"Just a glimpse." Namine shuddered. "And it looked like-"

Namine was cut off as the door to the room they were in burst open, and a figure garbed in the black coat of the Organization entered. They took no alarm to this, however, as the silver hair and blindfold the figure wore revealed its identity immediately.

"The Organization is in chaos." Riku said as he approached them. "They're having problems with their keyblade wielders. Both of them."

"We were just discussing exactly this." DiZ said. "It would appear that the one you had been with before fled from them. But not to us, as you told me it would."

Though his blindfold hid his eyes, Riku's expression could still be read by his biting his lip. "I thought I had gotten through to her. I don't know what she's doing now..."

"Gotten through to it?" DiZ nearly laughed. "It doesn't have a heart. It cannot reason the way that we do."

Namine cast her eyes down.

"As for the other..." Riku informed them. "Sora's Nobody, Roxas. They're having trouble with him, as well."

"In what way?"

"He's become insubordinate. He overheard them discussing Xion's fate and turned violently against them. They're holding him there now, but he refuses to work for them any longer. I don't doubt that if they had another keyblade wielder with them, he would no longer live."

"Which would make no difference to us." DiZ said, turning back to Namine. "So long as Namine is able to get all the pieces of Sora back where they belong. In the end, both Nobodies will have to die for that."

"It doesn't have to end the way you think it will, though." Riku told him.

"Riku, do not waste your empathy on these creatures." DiZ said, turning to leave. "They wouldn't do the same for you."

As DiZ vanished from the room, Namine looked up at Riku. "Are you..." She began, before being cut off once again.

"I'm trying as hard as I can to get them all here." He said. "But it isn't easy when Xion is running about and Roxas is stuck in that fortress."

"I was going to ask you if you were going after Xion..."

Riku shook his head. "I don't even know where she went. Do you?"

"I don't know what the world is called, but it's a flat world farther out than the others. There are no Heartless there, but there are beasts native to it that are just as dangerous."

"Would a Corridor of Darkness be able to reach this world?" Riku asked.

"That's how Xion got there, but then... something noticed her."

Riku paused for a moment. "What did?"

Namine looked down, almost afraid. "I've never seen anything like it. The most powerful being I even saw was Marluxia, and he would have been as useless as a kitten compared to this creature. It shattered my connection to her so violently that it almost knocked me out. It hurt Xion too, I think."

Riku was hesitant. He knew where Namine was going with this. She didn't want him to go after Xion, because this being scared her.

"So what should I do?" He asked.

Namine shook her head. "It wants Xion. It won't let us get near her, it told me that before it shattered our link."

"But we have to bring her back, or Sora will never wake up!"

Namine cast her eyes to the floor. "I know but... this monster cannot be fought. Riku, if you go to that world, this creature will kill you."

 

As Xion slowly opened her eyes, she realized that she was in a place she had never been before. A cold breeze drifted through, cutting through her clothes and sending a waking shiver down her spine. She sat up.

The walls were smoothly cut stone, torches lining in perfect distribution, and the floor was similar, with a path in the middle to tread upon. It was not dark, as the torches provided ample lighting, but Xion could tell that she was underground. Ever sound generated heavy echoes.

The hallway was neat, lacking dust and wear as though it had been built yesterday, and yet it whispered with the kind of ambient wisdom that only a place hundreds of years old could.

The way behind her, which seemed to lead outside, was sealed closed with a heavy stone door. Xion could tell from a single glance that her strength would not be enough to pry it open. Instead, she turned and made her way deeper into the hallway, the route feeling strangely natural.

Xion traveled for a while, passing through rooms with statues and areas with platforms above water. The path seemed to have various puzzles placed to impede upon explorers, but they all appeared to already be solved. So she just made her through the various rooms, aiming for whatever lay in this temple's heart.

At last, she came across just that. A small, square room with tiles forming an image of the crescent moon upon the floor. The moment she entered, the very atmosphere felt changed. It felt calmer, peaceful.

Xion then noticed a small ray of light cast from the center of the floor from the moon tiles to the center of the far side wall. She approached the wall, as the light seemed to beckon her there, and she reached her hand out and lay it upon the wall.

Something strange happened then. The light cast on the wall seemed to grow, expanding into a large circle, and then into a man-sized hole of pure energy that extended into a tunnel which led beyond the wall behind it. In any other situation, something like this would have frightened or at least surprised Xion, but at this moment it seemed rather ordinary. In fact, it felt to her like it was the right thing to happen in this situation.

Xion stepped through the tunnel, not even considering that it might not be safe. She passed through the long tunnel of energy, emerging into a very strange room. The room was large, with a dome-like ceiling. The walls and floor were dark blue stone, which was divided into many small platforms surrounding a single larger platform. Four statues rested upon these platforms at the four corners of the room, and dark blue water filled the room halfway up the platforms.

Xion emerged on the center platform at a glowing gateway, and gazed about in awe. The room was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, rivaling the sunsets atop the clock tower. The entire room had a soothing feel to it, and small lights danced around everywhere.

"This place is so beautiful..." She said aloud, her voice echoing strongly through the room.

Though few have seen it, all would agree.

Xion looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. All she could see was the lights sparkling off the deep blue walls around her. She was certain it was not her voice, but she could faintly remember hearing it before...

Of course! It was the same voice she had heard during her encounter with Axel, as well as the night before. As someone used to memories and images that didn't belong to her popping into her head, it hadn't really concerned her until now.

But it bothered her now, as it was reacting to events as they occurred, so it was obviously not leftover memories from Sora.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

I will show myself. Do not be alarmed.

She tried not to be as the being speaking to her manifested itself before her. What it was was a man-sized boulder, perfectly round, with a single eye in the center.

"What... what are you...?" Xion asked in awe. She had never seen anything like it before.

I have been called many names over the centuries. Those alive today call me the Wise One.

Xion nodded. She was still too stunned to speak.

You are no doubt wondering why I have brought you here. All that will be revealed in due time. First, you must realize that you are dreaming.

Xion hadn't realized that. "Then wait, this isn't real?"

This place is the heart of Sol Sanctum. It was destroyed when Mt. Aleph erupted nearly two years ago. Now that Mt. Aleph has collapsed beneath the earth, this place is gone forever. I am real, but your presence here is not. I am communicating with you through your mind.

"I think I understand." Xion said. The eye on the boulder blinked.

That is good, because we have much to go over. Next, I will bring to your attention that the girl you know as Namine was attempting to track you.

"She was?" Xion exclaimed. "Was she going to send Riku after me?"

I do believe that was her plan. But do not fret, as her connections to you have been severed. This process turned out to be rather sudden, but I did so because she was close to determining your location. The severing process also knocked you unconscious, and as I needed to speak with you, it worked out in our mutual favor.

"Why do you need to talk to me?" Xion asked.

Certain events are due to take place, which will go against my interests. As I am limited in my resources at the moment, I will need you to prevent these from happening. In exchange, I will reveal to you the answer to your prayers. The existence that you so seek, in which you are a free being and the boy Sora may awaken. I can give this to you.

"You can?" Xion exclaimed, trying hard to contain her excitement. She had hardly believed it was possible, but she had held out hope, and it had payed off!

Indeed. It is more than possible, in fact. All you need to do is gather the materials needed to build a second body, soul, and heart. Once you have the raw materials, I can recreate the body in which you currently reside. This second body will not be built off of Sora's memories, and thus will not require them to exist. With a heart and an empty soul built from the materials and in place, I can transfer your mind to the second body and allow the original to dissipate and return to Sora. All that was originally Sora's will return to him, and all that is uniquely you will remain with your mind, now existing in your new body.

"Would that really work...?" Xion asked in awe.

I guarantee it. Gathering the materials you need will be up to you, however. I will inform you of what they are and where you can find them shortly. In addition to this, I need you to do something for me.

"And what is that?"

The man you are traveling with... Felix. He has a sister named Jenna who is destined to give birth to a very special child. However, there is a man loose in the world, a very powerful man, who seeks to end the life of this child's father. This is because this man is after something that he believes the father carries. However, what he does not realize is that the thing he seeks was passed onto the already developing child in Jenna's womb. Once he figures this out, he is sure to kill both Jenna and the child. You must prevent this.

"I don't think I understand..." Xion said. "You want me to stop someone from killing an unborn child... because this child is special?"

That is exactly it.

"I can do that, but... why me?"

There are a number of very interesting conditions that will make themselves known once the pieces are in place. That is in the future, however and it is not to concern you for a a while yet. For now, you must continue to travel with Felix, for his path will eventually lead you to this man. And this path will also take you to the place where you will find your first ingredient for your new body.

"Where is this?"

The four elemental Lighthouses. Atop each is an aerie, where the beacons that released Alchemy where fired. Felix can guide you to these, as he is the only person alive who has witnessed the lighting of all four. When you arrive at the top of each, you must gather the pure Essence of the beacon within yourself. When all four Essences are your's, you second body can be built.

"So I have to stop this man from killing an unborn child, and I have to collect energy from these lighthouses. If I do these, I can truly exist?"

Freedom will be yours. You will not even have to bother with Organization XIII, as Sora will take care of them. You will be your own being, free to go anywhere and do anything.

"What about Roxas and Axel?"

Ah. I'm afraid your friends will have to find their own way.

"But..."

If they wish to exist as strongly as you do, they can find a way to do so. Just tell them what you have learned today. All the advice I can give you is that you stay close to Felix. His path runs parallel to yours, and he can help you along the way.

"I suppose..."

Dawn draws near. You will have to awaken soon. Remember Xion, tell them what you have learned today. Remember the conditions, and you can exist...

The star chamber wavered and faded from view. Xion found her eyes sliding shut, and she found herself floating along a river. As she drifted along, she felt the warm sunlight begin to pour over her face. The wind blew through her hair, and she passed into the waking world.


	5. The Beauty of Being Numb

Felix glanced out the window. It was nearly noon, and Xion still had yet to awaken. Axel hadn't stirred either, and Felix was bored out of his mind. Despite his intention to watch Axel like a hawk, he had grown tired of that about an hour ago. He now stood and paced the room, anxiously waiting for some sort of reaction from either of them.

The only entertainment he had was the thoughts of when he found Alex and killed him. He now had a definite lead on the man, and was eagerly awaiting his departure from Loho. Once he wrapped things up with Xion, and took care of this Axel fellow, there was nothing but a few mountains between him and the Mercury Adept...

 

Felix kicked open the front door of the inn, having no free hands to open it more gracefully. He stepped in, Xion over his left shoulder, and Axel over his right. The dwarf behind the counter gave out a yelp at the sight, and panicked.

"Are... are they hurt?" The innkeeper asked, nervously.

Felix turned and glared daggers into the dwarf-man. "The red-haired guy I hurt, with good reason. The girl needs to rest, and I intend to take her up to a soft bed so she may do this. I'll pay for the room as I promised before, but do not stand in my way beyond showing me where to go."

"Um... okay... do you-"

"If I were you, I would just keep my mouth shut." Felix growled. "I know that you people have been working for him, keeping lookout for this girl. I also know that you were the ones that alerted him to her presence. Had I not been there to stop him, she would be on her way to her death. It disgusts me what you people will do for a few gold coins. Show me to the room, I'll give you your money when we she's comfortable."

The dwarf leaped over the counter as though chased by Dullahan himself, racing up the stairs. Felix followed at a steady pace. The dwarf quickly unlocked the room, and Felix stepped inside. He gently placed Xion on the bed and adjusted her bangs. Axel he just tossed on the floor.

"Um... is that all...?" The dwarf gingerly asked.

"No." Felix said, turning to him. "Since you are clearly good at keeping your weasel eyes open for figures of interest, I have one here for you. A man, dressed in blue robes and sporting long hair of the same color. Possibly wounded. I remember asking you earlier, but I want an honest answer from you now."

The dwarf gulped. "I... have seen someone like that... But he, uh... He paid me not to say anything..."

Felix approached the dwarf and got down to his level, looking him straight in the eyes. "What I did to that man over there..." He said, pointing to Axel. "Would be a lot easier to do to you. I think gold is your last concern right now."

The dwarf broke out in a sweat.

"Tell me everything."

 

As Xion slowly woke, she let out a soft moan, which Felix noticed. He rushed to her side, and he was the first thing she saw as she opened her eyes.

"Oh, man..." She yawned. "I just had the weirdest dream..."

"Are you okay?" Felix asked. "You just passed out, right out of nowhere."

"Oh, yeah..." Xion sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, recalling the events of the evening before. The image of Felix raising his sword before Axel, and then collapsing into tears when she stopped him came back to her. "Forget me, I'm more concerned about you. What was..."

"I don't want to talk about it." Felix interrupted her.

Xion could tell from his tone that he really didn't want to, so she decided it wasn't wise to pursue the thought. He stepped aside as she rose from the bed and stepped warily on the floor. She was a bit dizzy, but otherwise fine.

Or perhaps not. Something felt different, as though something was missing, like she was more alone than before.

Oh yeah, the connection with Namine, which the eyeball-rock guy had severed. Apparently Namine had been trying to track her through it, and the rock guy had stopped her. Because he wanted Felix's sister to give birth to someone important or something.

There was so much the eyeball-rock had told her that she needed to digest.

"I have so much to tell you." She said to Felix.

"Are you hungry?" Felix asked her.

Her stomach grumbled. "I guess I am."

"Alright, we'll head out and grab a bite." Felix said, grabbing his purse off the nightstand.

"Wait, what about the dwarf-guys? She asked. "Aren't they after me? And speaking of after me, what about Axel? What did you do with him?"

Felix pointed over his shoulder, and Xion noticed her friend bound and gagged, lying unconscious on the floor.

"Axel!" She cried, running over to his side. "Did you hurt him?"

Felix stared at her with surprise. "After everything he did, you're still concerned about him?"

Xion turned back to him, considering. "Well, yeah. He's... he's my friend."

Felix lowered his eyes. A bond not easily broken, he figured. And yet he'd felt the sting of just such a betrayal himself so many times. This Axel must be very dear to her, for her to still feel concern for him. Had Felix been in her place, he would have felt nothing but contempt.

And yet he still blamed himself for Mia's leaving.

Felix returned his eyes to Xion. "I haven't harmed him, beyond the battle we already had. He hasn't awakened yet, but I did give him a pretty sound beating."

"Why is he tied up so much?" Xion asked.

"I had to bind him, in case he woke and tried to pick up where he left off."

"Oh, I see." Xion had never needed to take a prisoner before.

"I wasn't sure how to bind him, as he can summon flames and those blade things. I was waiting for you to wake up, so we could figure out what to do with him."

Xion inspected Axel's binds. "Well, he's not going anywhere tied up like this. I don't think he can even summon his weapons right now. His mana is drained."

"His mana?" Felix asked, not familiar with the term.

"You know, MP. The stuff you use to cast magic." She didn't face him, still focused on Axel.

Felix remembered back to his battle with Axel. Those flames hadn't been psynergy, as he couldn't sense them coming like he could with psynergy. Xion didn't seem to realize that there was a difference between his skills and Axel's.

Magic was a term people from around Weyard would sometimes use to describe psynergy when they didn't know what it was. Kraden had pointed this out during their quest through the eastern sea. Perhaps Xion and Axel came from a place where they used some other kind of force than psynergy? Maybe some island where they wore only black? More likely that the black coats were the Organization's uniform. Which would explain why Xion wanted rid of her's so badly, so to remain hidden.

"We can't kill him." Xion said, drawing Felix's thoughts back to the present.

"Well we can't let him go, either." Felix told her. "He knows where we are. The whole Organization could come after us."

"And they would, too." Xion said sadly. "They'll never stop chasing me..."

Felix looked out the window. The sun was high in the sky, and the dwarf-like people of Loho were out and about, digging in their mines. They had so much to discuss, Xion was obviously starving, and the room was hot and stuffy.

Felix cleared his throat. "Uh... Xion?"

She looked back at him.

"Look, Axel's not going anywhere, and uh... I mean, you said yourself that you're hungry. So why don't we go grab a bite to eat, and we'll talk about your dream and what we'll do with Axel while we're out?"

Xion thought about it. "You're right. We do have a lot to talk about, and I don't really want to do it here." She grabbed her cloak off the wall.

"Let's get some fresh air. It makes everything better." He offered, opening the door.

As they both stepped out and the door closed, Axel's eyes shot open.

 

Felix and Xion moved through the torn streets of Loho, stepping over rocks and debris. The dwarves around them gave them mixed looks, some surprised, others slightly fearful. But most just seemed to no longer even notice their presence, being so focused on their work.

"I thought they were working for Axel, but they don't seem that concerned that I'm still here." Xion said to Felix. She was surprised. She didn't have that 'being watched' feeling anymore.

Felix shrugged. "They probably didn't even care that much." He said. "These guys were always kind of odd. I met them once when my group first passed through here and they gave us a cannon for smashing open a wall. They're like, miners or archeologists or something. And that's really all they care about."

Xion was confused. "So all that matters to them is digging stuff up? But then why would they give information to Axel?"

"Perhaps he did something for them. Perhaps he was passing through here, and mentioned for them to keep their eyes open for you. Whatever the case is, they don't seem to care now, so there shouldn't be a problem."

And after his encounter with the innkeeper, the fearful looks he occasionally got were well-deserved. Xion thought they were looking at her, but their eyes were all on him.

Xion sighed. "Well that's good. I've got enough problems as it is."

As do I, thought Felix.

There was only one place to eat in Loho, a small cafe situated near the dig site, where the workers would go after their shifts. As Felix and Xion made their way over, they passed through the scorched and shredded street where the earlier battle had occurred. As Felix had expected, the dwarves didn't even seem to notice a difference, being used to their streets in such awful condition. It was actually kind of sad, in a way.

They entered the small building. The Inn had been designed with human use in mind, but most other buildings in Loho had been built on the standards of the small, dwarf people. It wasn't a huge difference, but it was still enough for Felix to have to duck as he entered. Xion, being rather petite in comparison, was only a bit taller than the dwarves, and fit comfortably in the small room.

Felix ordered some chicken for them, and they took seats. The place was empty, save for the dwarf at the counter, and another who seemed to be passed out at a table with a spilled mug in his hand. Despite this, they sat at a table in the back, in the far corner.

The chairs they sat in were small and uncomfortable to Felix, and the rather small size of the building was making him feel claustrophobic. This, coupled with his exhaustion from having stayed up the entire night keeping watch on Axel, a fierce battle before that, and three days of travel with no tents or even sleeping bags led to his mood turning very sour. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and take a nap, but he was also burning with curiosity over this Xion girl and this organization that was pursuing her, as well as her mysterious collapse and dream. He was determined for her to feel comfortable and relaxed.

Xion started eating rather ferociously. Felix nibbled and pushed his food around. He was hungry as well, but he was starting to feel like he was stuck in a box in the tiny building.

Xion tore through her appetizer, and quickly ordered more. As they waited for her order, Felix at last met her eyes.

"So tell me about this Axel man I nearly destroyed Loho fighting." He said.

Xion scratched the back of her head. "I'm not really sure what to say about him that I haven't already told you. Me, him, and our other friend Roxas would all have ice cream after we finished the missions the Organization gave us. I met him after he and Roxas helped me defeat this lizard monster I'd been stuck hunting for days."

"Go on."

"Well, actually, it kinda knocked me out, and they fought it for me. And then right after that, I couldn't use my keyblade, so he and Roxas helped me keep that from the Organization. Axel came up with the idea of me and Roxas pairing up for missions, and Roxas handling both our workloads."

Xion sighed, remembering what they had both done for her.

"I know you think he wanted to hurt me, but Axel had done so much to protect us. I think he's just torn. He isn't sure what's important."

"I have a hard time believing that." Felix said. "The man acted like a psychopath."

"That's not true!" Xion exclaimed. "He values his friends above all other things, but the Organization has..."

Xion went quiet. She didn't think she could get out of this conversation without coming clean about a few things.

"The Organization has what?" Felix urged her on.

"It's the promise they made to us. It was all he had before he met Roxas and I. Before he had friendship. And now, he's not sure which is more important to him. His friends, or getting a heart."

Felix thought for a moment that he may have misheard her. "A... heart?"

Xion nodded, and glanced around to make sure they were still alone. "We're Nobodies." She continued in a hushed voice. "We're like leftovers of people who... died, I guess." Explaining this to him would be complicated enough without getting into the Heartless.

"I don't quite follow." Felix said.

"We're what's left sometimes. We're shells of the people who died, and we have no hearts. The Organization is a group of Nobodies that came together to find a way to get hearts of their own. It's all we have. We're empty... heartless."

"I don't buy that." Felix muttered. "Just a moment ago, a flash of indignation crossed your face when I suggested insensitivity in your friend. I've seen a whole cycle of emotion in you. You've laughed, you've smiled, you've been bitter, and you've shyly avoided my gaze. You clearly value your friends, and you claim they value you. How can someone with no heart do these things?"

"Well... I'm kind of a special case..." She said, somewhat surprised at how observant Felix was.

"Explain." He insisted.

"Well..." She began, but noticing Felix's beckon went quiet. Their server, a dwarf like the others, arrived with Xion's meal. As he left, she cleared her throat.

"You were saying?" Felix urged.

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain." She said, trying to find the words to put it in a way Felix could understand. Would he understand what a Replica was? Would an explanation of Sora and the scattered memories enlighten him, or just bring up more questions? At the very least, she would have to explain the events of Castle Oblivion to him.

Best to just sum it up. "I have... some emotion. But I still lack a heart."

Without warning, Felix leaned across the table and placed his hand above her breast. She nearly jumped in surprise.

"Um... What are you doing?" She was blushing from the contact.

"I can feel the organ in your chest that pumps blood through your body." He said, sitting back down. "We usually call those hearts."

Xion wasn't sure what to say to that. It was understandable that he wouldn't understand her situation. He had no experience dealing with such things.

"Whether or not you have a heart is irrelevant." Felix said. "What I want to know is why this Organization is chasing you."

"Well, I ran away." She said. "To make a long story short, some people want me dead to bring a friend of their's out of a coma. The Organization wants me alive to work for them. I'm kind of tired of both of them. So I fled to find a way for their friend to wake up without me having to die."

Felix stared at her for a moment, then sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Your situation is certainly a complicated one."

"Yeah." She agreed. And she wasn't even getting into the Heartless, Castle Oblivion, or the Keyblade.

"So it's not just this Organization that's after you, but another group of people as well?"

"Yeah, but the other group only has one fighter. He's tough, but he can also be reasoned with."

"What about the Organization? How many do they have?"

"Well let's see... There was originally fourteen of us, including me. Five were killed in Castle Oblivion, so that left nine of us. Cut out me, Roxas who won't fight us, and Axel who you just beat, and that leaves six of them."

"That's more than I'm comfortable with." Felix muttered.

Xion beckoned to Felix's untouched food. "Are you going to eat that?"

He shook his head, and she swiped his plate away, placing it atop her now-cleaned dish. "I swear, I've never seen a girl your size eat so much." He added.

"I'm hungry!" She laughed. "But it's more the food than anything. This stuff is so much better than the mush the Organization used to feed us!"

"Really?" Felix asked, surprised. "I always figured the food in Loho tasted like crap and limestone, but to each their own."

Xion chuckled. "If this is what limestone tastes like, then I'm headed to a construction site."

She enjoyed the little moments like these, when they could just smile and joke. For a moment it was almost like her life wasn't in danger, and they could just laugh and be friends. She couldn't wait to finish be back with Roxas.

"Okay, so there's people after you, you guys lack hearts, your friend is having alliance doubts, and you ran from your group because you want to find a way for everyone to survive while the other guys demand death." Felix said. "That sums up that much. Now, what happened when you collapsed after my battle with Axel? You told me you had a strange dream?"

Xion stopped eating for a moment, and rubbed her temples. "Yeah... Okay, here's where it gets weird. Are you ready?"

Felix laughed. "If what you've told me so far has been the normal part, then I don't think I could handle what comes after."

Xion joined his laugh for a bit. "Well, Here's what happened. I was dreaming, but it was real. Sort of. Anyway, I was in this place full of pillars and water and sparkling stuff. There were these statues, and it was all glowing and pretty."

Felix's eyes went wide. "I think I may know the place."

"When I was there, this thing showed up. It was like a rock, but it was floating and it had an eye."

Felix's eyes went even wider. The Wise One appeared to her in a dream?

"He told me about this connection thing, but that's not important. What he told me after is. He said that there was a solution to my problems. And I needed to go to these lighthouse things and get elemental energy from each to build a new body."

Felix felt like he'd just been punched in the stomach. The Wise One wanted Xion to go on some kind of scavenger hunt? He had to be up to something. Should Felix tell her what he'd done?

Before he could make a decision, the bell signaling the end of the work day rang off in the distance.

"What was that?" Xion asked, referring to the sound.

"It means that they're done working for the day." Felix glanced outside. Time had passed faster than he'd realized. "This cafe will be swarming with them in a few minutes."

"Should we get going?" Xion asked him. "I don't really want to be stuck here when they arrive. They might not react well to seeing me."

"You're right, let's get back to the Inn." Felix said, rising. "We've spent enough time here, and we still need to figure out what we're doing with Axel."

Xion nodded, and followed him out.

 

Felix knew something was wrong the moment he opened the door to his room.

Though he was more exhausted than he had been in ages, his warrior instincts didn't take any longer than a fraction of a second to notice the severed bonds lying where Axel had been. Then he felt movement behind him.

Without giving her any warning, he grabbed Xion by her arm and pushed her forward into the room. She exclaimed as she stumbled and fell on the bed before them.

Felix's hand reached his sheathed sword as he felt Axel's chakram pressed up against his throat.

"I'm taking the girl." Felix felt him hiss in his ear.

Felix didn't answer with words. He pulled back his left arm and elbowed Axel hard in the chest, right where the man's lung would be. Axel stepped back as the wind was knocked out of him from the impact. Felix smoothly drew his sword, and kicked Axel in the stomach, sending the assassin to the floor. He pointed the edge of his blade to Axel's throat.

"I am way too tired to be doing this crap right now." Felix growled.

"Axel, stop this!" Xion exclaimed, jumping back to her feet. "He'll kill you if you keep fighting!"

"The Organization will kill us both if I return without you." Axel muttered.

"Axel, we don't have to work for them anymore." Xion said.

Axel clearly wanted to jump back up to his feet, but the point of Felix's blade kept him on the ground.

"I found a way, Axel." She told him, almost calmly. "I left so I could find another way, and that's what I did."

"They will never stop hunting you, Xion." Axel said. "Roxas, he's..."

Felix pulled his sword back. "If we're gonna have a discussion about this, let's do it inside the room. Try anything, and you lose your head."

Axel hesitantly rose and stepped inside the room, Felix slamming the door behind him. The whole time, Felix eyed him like a hawk.

"What have you found, Xion?" Axel asked, skeptically. His chakrams disappeared, but Felix kept his sword drawn and ready.

"I found a way that I can exist, on my own terms." Xion said. "A way where Sora can wake up, but Roxas and I won't have to die."

"I don't believe that." Axel replied, shaking his head.

"It's true." Felix said.

"I have to move around this world, and collect raw elemental energy." Xion explained. "When I have enough, a powerful being will create a new body identical to this one. I'll live on in the new body, and the old one can go back to Sora. Then we'll do the same thing for Roxas. Nobody will have to die."

Axel shook his head. "It can't be that easy. There's never solutions like that without a catch."

"Please, Axel!" Xion pleaded. "Don't work for the Organization anymore! Help me do this for us, and we can all have ice cream again!"

"Don't degrade yourself by begging to this man, Xion." Felix said.

Axel cast his eyes down, clearly thinking. "The Organization is getting desperate." He told her. "Roxas turned against them when he overheard their plans for you. He's not working anymore, so they'll want you back twice as badly."

"It won't be easy, but we can make it work." Xion said. "Axel, please..."

"I can always make the decision for you, if you want." Felix offered, raising his sword.

"Felix, no!" Xion exclaimed.

"If I were to go along with this..." Axel proposed. "What would you have me do?"

"Go back to the castle." Xion said. "Hold off the others. Try to talk some sense into Roxas."

"You can't honestly expect me to let this guy return to them after what he tried to do." Felix nearly laughed.

"Felix, stop." Xion said sternly. "We can trust him. He's my friend."

"That word doesn't mean anything." Felix muttered.

Axel scratched his head. "Fine. I don't see what other choice I have."

Xion grinned. "Thank you! I promise you, I'll make this work."

"I'll do whatever I can to hold them back." Axel said, the ghost a smile on his mouth. "But you better work overtime back here, you understand?"

Axel nodded to her, before summoning a Corridor of Darkness and disappearing. Felix watched him go with a grave look upon his face.

"This is a mistake." He said to her. "If he betrays us..."

"He won't." Xion replied. "He was sincere. I could see it in his eyes."

The eyes of someone who doesn't have a heart, Felix said to himself.

"Felix, why can't you trust people?" Xion asked him.

"Maybe it's easier for you, but when someone is throwing fire in my face, it makes me not take their word for law."

"I guess I can understand that." Xion muttered.

Felix collapsed on the bed. "I'm going to sleep now. I'm too tired to travel. We'll set off tomorrow morning."

Xion looked at him incredulously. "Set off where?"

"Mercury Lighthouse. If you want your new body, then we have to climb each lighthouse and retrieve energy from the aeries. Isn't that what the Wise One told you? Well, if we're going to the lighthouses, then Mercury is the closest."

"You mean you'll help me get my new body?" Xion asked.

Felix hesitated. "Yeah, I guess so..."

"Yes! Thank you!" She exclaimed, leaping on top of the bed and squeezing Felix in a hug. He felt his face go red, feeling her body pressed up against his.

Sure, he'd admit he liked this girl. She was cute, and nice enough to get along with. In the past, he would have made a trip like that just to help someone. But he was different now.

He had his own reasons for wanted to go the Mercury Lighthouse.

The dwarf reached up, wiping the sweat from his brow. He was noticeably trembling.

"Well... He was wounded, like you said. He limped, and he had a lot of bandages on him... He moved quickly, though. He showed up at midnight about a week ago. He paid twice the cost of his room, and he stayed to himself the whole time. He was here for two days, and he left at midnight, just like he had arrived."

"Did he say where he was going?" Felix asked.

"Well,no..." The dwarf whispered. "But I overheard him talking the second day... He was complaining about his wounds, and he said he had to go to the fountain to heal them... He didn't sound very happy about it, either... And uh... When he left, he went north-east..."

North-east... Towards Mercury Lighthouse. He needed the Hermes's Water to heal his wounds...

Felix placed some gold coins in the dwarf's hand. "Here's the money for the room. The girl is not to be touched, not by you or any of the others. Let them know."

The innkeeper nodded and darted out of sight.

So Alex was headed home...

Felix had intended to go to Imil once this business with Xion was resolved as it was. Now that he knew where Alex was heading, he couldn't wait to cut the man's throat open.

But he had to hurry. Alex wouldn't stay there very long. He was a traitor to the Mercury Clan. Mia would probably attack him on sight. He likely wouldn't even set foot inside the village of Imil. So Felix had to get there quickly.

Traveling with Xion might slow him down a bit, but Alex was also wounded, so he couldn't be moving very fast. He had been thinking it would be a journey he made alone, but he would look weird if he opted to travel without her when they were both headed to the same place.

At the same time, he was burning with curiosity as to what the Wise One wanted with Xion. Perhaps if he kept her close, he could get back at the creature.

Felix's motives weren't very pure, but he didn't really care either. While he didn't want to see this Xion girl get killed, he was really only interested in what the Wise One wanted with her. Whether it had been a test or not, he resented that pile of rocks for making him almost kill his parents. It was no better than Alex in Felix's eyes.

The north would be cold, and Felix wasn't looking forward to being back around Mia so soon after she had hurt him, but slowly killing Alex would more than make up for it.

He glanced over at Xion, who was lying on her back on the other bed, her eyes closed and a small smile on her lips. At some point he would have to tell her about Alex. For some strange reason he couldn't put his finger on, he dreaded that conversation. Not because he had been lying to her about who Alex really was and what he wanted to do with the man, but for some other strange reason. He just couldn't figure it out.

Did she truly not have a heart? If so, did that also mean she lacked a soul? She had seen him lost control. He had slipped into a blood-lusting state, and had cried afterward. He intended to not let that happen again. He needed to keep his emotions in check, and yet he was so conflicted.

The Samaritan in Felix wanted to help her get her new body so she didn't have to die. But a part of him was also feeling something very different when he looked at her. A strange mixture of concern, annoyance, and fear. He couldn't decide if he wanted to run to her side or flee from her as fast as he could.

And that scared him.


	6. Lights in the Sky

One month ago...

"What about this one?" Xion asked, gingerly removing the slender blade off the wall. It was longer than other swords she had tried out earlier, with a curved blade. It was not as heavy as the others, which she found a relief.

Felix stepped up next to her, inspecting the sword in her hands. "That's a katana. My sister Jenna would sometimes fight with those. I've never used one, though."

Xion stepped away from the shelf, sliding the blade out of its sheath. The blade was smooth and sharp, and she liked the feel of it in her hands.

"This one's not as hard to wield as those longswords." She said to Felix, swinging the blade around a bit. She was surprised at how light it was. It wasn't even as heavy as her keyblade had been.

Her not being able to summon her keyblade was what had brought her there, to the Loho weapon shop. As she had explained to Felix, she was experienced enough in swordplay, having slain countless Heartless with her keyblade. But ever since she had arrived in Weyard, she found her magic gone and her keyblade out of reach.

It wasn't the first time she had had trouble with her keyblade, but it was different than the incident that had occurred while she had been with the Organization. Back then, when she couldn't use her keyblade, she could still feel the connection to it. It had been as though it was simply beyond her reach.

But this time, she felt nothing. No keyblade, no magic. It was as though it had simply gone away, or vanished.

She should have asked the Wise One or Axel about it. At the time, it had seemed like there had been more serious issues at hand, but not being able to defend herself in any way turned out to be rather important in a world like Weyard. She had yet to see any of the monsters that Felix told her about, but they were apparently enough of a threat that he insisted she carry a weapon.

"I'll pay for it, don't worry about that." He had told her that morning. "But if we're going to be traveling to Imil together, I don't want to have to look out for both of us."

So as the sun rose, they had a small breakfast and made their way to the town to do some shopping. Felix seemed to have a bottomless wallet, purchasing a tent, two sleeping bags, a lamp, and several weeks worth of supplies. He had even offered to buy two tents, so that Xion could sleep privately, but she had insisted that she didn't mind sleeping in the same tent as him.

Even after buying all this, he still had enough to buy Xion a weapon. She found herself wondering just how rich he actually was. Apparently slaying monsters was very lucrative in Weyard.

So there Xion was, testing out the sword in her hands. She missed the familiarity of her old keyblade, but she could easily wield the sword she held now.

"It think I'll go with this... katana." She told Felix.

He nodded, and went to the front counter to make the purchase. She found herself watching him as he made his way to the front of the small store. She didn't know much about Felix, aside from the things he had told her about his family and his previous quest, and yet she was preparing to climb mountains with him.

She had known even less about Riku when she ran off with him, as well. Perhaps she was too trusting. It was certainly odd that he would go so far out of his way just to help her. Judging by the stories he had told her of his adventures, he was no stranger to helping others, but traveling all over the world just to help her out seemed a bit much.

Felix handed a small stack of coins to the dwarf at the counter, and beckoned to her. She raced over to him, still carrying the blade.

"First, you sheath that." He said to her, pointing to her exposed sword. She laughed, having not noticed that it was still drawn, and slid it back in its sheath. "Then, you strap it on your back so you don't have to carry it around everywhere."

She did so, and Felix led her back outside. The sun was shining high in the sky, and the streets were filled.

"That's about all we need." Felix said. "So if you're ready, then we can head out right now."

"I'm good." Xion replied. "The sooner we get out of this place, the better."

"Agreed."

The made their way to the town's only gate, the southern one from which they had entered. Once through there, they would make their way around the small cliffs surrounding the town and head north.

"Hey Felix, can I ask you something?" Xion said as they walked.

"What is it?"

"Why are you doing this for me? It's not exactly an easy trip to make, and you've got... well, you've got your own problems to deal with. Your sister is getting married, and your friend is missing. Why do all this for me? You barely know me."

Felix scratched his chin. "Well, that's not really an easy question to answer. For one, you saved my life the night we met, and I kind of owe you."

"But you saved me from Axel, so we're even."

"Not exactly. You see, if I were to turn my back on you now, and you were to get caught by that Organization, it would be on my hands. And my conscious would never let me just ignore you running off to those stupid lighthouses alone."

"But it's still a lot to ask of you..."

"It is, but I don't mind. And on top of those reasons, I have some business in Imil that needs taken care of."

They passed through the gate, stepping out of the gray, ruined town and onto fresh, green grass. They traveled on, Felix leading Xion around the small cliffs that the town was nestled between.

"Isn't Imil the town where that Mia girl lives?" Xion asked.

Felix rubbed his temples. "Yeah."

"She's the one that hurt you?" Xion inquired further.

"Yeah."

"I feel bad for you, having to go through that." Xion said. "What will you do when we get there? Will you just avoid her?"

"That's more or less my plan."

Loho was disappearing in the distance, and the tall, snow-peaked mountains of the north were at the front of the horizon. Xion gazed upon the mountains in awe.

"Are we climbing over those?" She asked, doubting whether or not she could pull it off.

"Not at all." Felix replied. "We're going under them. There's a series of caves we used back when Saturos first led us to Imil to meet with Alex. There's one entrance near here, and another on the eastern side, somewhere near Bilibin. They both connect to a long tunnel that emerges on the northern side. From there, its a short trek to Imil."

"I don't know any of those places, but I trust that you know where you're going." Xion laughed.

"Trust me, I do. I've been all over Angara."

Xion put her hands in her pockets as they walked, and looked around, observing the trees. She spotted a bird on one, and pointed it out to Felix. He noted her surprise at seeing a bird for the first time, thinking it strange that she had never before seen one.

 

One month later...

As Garet at last reached the streets of Imil, he felt he was about to collapse. The journey had been harder than he had expected, and he had run out of supplies the day before. Granted, he could have made them last several days longer had he not eaten so much so quickly, but as usual he had thought with his stomach before his brain.

He was freezing, and he was exhausted. He was also beginning to reconsider the entire idea of traveling all the way up to Imil just to confront Mia, but remembering that he was already there, he just shrugged it off and marched to the Inn.

Garet had no idea where Mia lived, and he was too tired to go after her today, as it was. He stumbled into the Inn, brushed the snow off his clothes, paid for a room, and collapsed on a table.

The Inn lobby was quiet, as one would expect in a town like Imil. The only people around were Garet himself, the Innkeeper, the maid, the cook (whom Garet noticed was preparing something steaming for dinner), a man drinking at a table in the corner, and another man playing cards a few tables away from him.

Garet decided to simply remain at his table. It was still too early to retire, and he was starving. He would just wait for dinner to be served. He was too tired to go anywhere, but not tired enough to sleep.

After a few minutes, however, it quickly became apparent that his plan would not work. His stomach was growling so loudly he was amazed nobody else could hear it, and judging by where the sun had been when he had last seen it, it would still be several hours before he ate.

Garet moaned quietly, realizing the mess he had gotten himself into. Had he not been such a pig earlier, he would still have food to eat now. He considered heading outside to find something to eat, but decided against it. In such a small town, he doubted he would find anything. Not to mention that he could bump into Mia, which he was just not ready to deal with yet.

After about five minutes, Garet was bored out of his mind. He sat up and looked around. He had to find something to do, to get his mind off of his empty stomach. If he did not, he would go insane.

He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see what it was. He noticed the man sitting in the back, shuffling a deck of cards. He appeared to be playing Solitaire.

Garet wasn't much of a gambler, but he had enough gold on him, and he had time to kill. He made his way over to the table, the man sitting there watching him as he did so.

Before Garet could speak, the man gestured with his hand at the empty chair before him.

"Thanks." Garet muttered, as he sat down.

"I take it you seek a distraction." The man said.

Garet looked at him incredulously. "How did you know that?"

"Powers of observation, my friend. You appeared quite in need of entertainment before you found your way to me." The man flipped a card in his deck. He was doing well in his game of Solitaire, having already filled three slots.

Garet scratched the back of his head. "I guess you're right."

"Then we are both fortunate today. I fear I am near the end of my current hand, and though I never tire of the cards, I much prefer to share their risk with another."

"You uh... wanted someone to play cards with?"

"Indeed." The man drew his last card, dropping it on the table before Garet. He was out of options in his game of Solitaire, as the card he had just drawn had been the only one he hadn't uncovered. Despite how well he had been doing, a single card had cost him the game.

"And there is my losing card. Not every hand can be a winner, and even a skilled player will find themselves given such a hand from time to time. Life is like cards, as I often say. You can't always win."

The man gathered the cards and quickly shuffled them. "So what will it be, my friend? Pick your poison."

Garet thought about it. He didn't play cards often, so he didn't know a lot of games. Best to stick with something simple. "Poker."

"Ah, the classic." The man quickly dealt them both hands of five cards. He moved the cards so quickly Garet could barely follow them.

"By the way, I'm Garet." He said, offering his hand.

The man did not take it.

"I'd rather we just skip the formalities."

 

One month ago...

The sun had set, and Felix and Xion had set up camp for the night. As Felix had purchased supplies in advance, he did not need to spear fish like he had before. They simply sat around a small fire and talked.

Xion told Felix about a time when she and her friend Roxas had been infiltrating a castle, and Roxas had let her use his weapon as she had lost her's. In order to still be able to help her fight, he had fought with a stick.

Xion laughed as she told him this story, and Felix chuckled a bit, as well.

"Though it is funny that he fought with a stick." Felix said. "It also shows that he has guts, to do something like that for you. Not to mention that that had to be one tough stick. What exactly were you two fighting?"

Xion thought about it for a moment. "Shadows, and these giant dog-like things. Just Heartless, nothing we hadn't seen before."

"Is that what you call monsters back where you come from?" Felix asked.

"Sort of."

Felix produced some uncooked meal from his bag, and slowly roasted it. They ate, and sat by the fire for a while, not speaking. Xion noticed a morose look in Felix's eye.

"What's bothering you?" She asked.

Felix looked up at her. He saw a concerned look in her expression. This girl who claimed to have no heart sure seemed to 'feel' an awful lot.

"To what extent do you feel?" He asked her, ignoring her previous question. "You said that you don't have a heart, yet I have trouble believing that. You told me that you do have some emotion, which I can see. Is there anything you don't feel?"

Xion shifted uncomfortably. It was something she had never really thought about. She had always had a rather empty feeling inside, but she wasn't sure how to explain it to someone who had had a heart his entire life.

"I know something's missing." She said. "I feel... empty at times. Like I should be feeling something, but it's just not there. It's strange, and kind of hard to explain."

She looked off to the side, avoiding Felix's gaze. Perhaps she should explain to him that she wasn't even a Nobody, but an imperfect Replica of someone else. Did Replicas have hearts to begin with?

"Sometimes, when I see people in certain situations..." She continued. "I don't under why they react the way they do. Sometimes they do things I wouldn't do, like panic or laugh. Axel or another member would just tell me that when I had a heart, I would understand. I know I don't have a heart, because I don't feel the strong emotions, like hatred, despair or love. But I do feel some things, like anger, and even joy. It's not much, but it's still more than the other members would feel, though."

Felix, now finished eating and resting on his back with his hands behind his head, absorbed what she had said. "Certain situations...? Can you think of an example?"

She thought about it for a minute. "Well... me and Roxas were once on a mission to a old castle. The same castle where the stick incident occurred, but on a different day. Anyway, it was a pretty odd place. The master was a huge beast-man, and all the residents were talking furniture."

Felix gave her a strange look. "Are you serious about this?"

She nodded. "Yeah. There was actually only one human there, this girl named Belle. Well Roxas and I kept finding slashes everywhere from the Beast battling Heartless there. We came to the conclusion that he was protecting something."

"The girl?" Felix guessed.

"Yeah." Xion replied, surprised that he had already figured it out. "He and the girl had this strange relationship. Even though he was a frightening beast, and she was a human girl, they seemed to care very much for each other. Even beyond what concern friends usually had for each other."

"They were in love." Felix said, staring up at the sky.

"Yeah, that's what Axel told us." Xion said. "But we didn't really understand what love was, or why it caused them to behave that way. Roxas and I were close like they were, but we didn't act that way. Sure, we would be concerned for one another on our missions, but not to the point where we risked out lives."

Felix sighed. Now he understood the limitations of her feelings. "The thing about love is... you care more about the other person than you do yourself. The Beast wanted to protect that girl because she was the most important thing in the world to him. He didn't care if he got hurt, as long as those... Heartless things didn't harm her."

"That's what I mean." Xion said. "I've never felt that strongly about anything. I can be concerned for others, but not to the point where I would put myself in that much danger just to protect them."

"So really, the only thing you care about is yourself."

"Well when you say it like that, you make me sound selfish. I care about my friends, but I don't think I would go to such extremes to protect them. And I don't think they would do the same for me, either."

Felix just grunted in reply. Xion looked over at him, staring up at the stars.

"I'm not as caring as you are, Felix." She said.

He looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

She smiled. "Well, you've done a lot for me, for no reason other than to just pay back a favor. You helped me get to Loho safely when we fell in that chasm, you stood up to Axel when you thought he would hurt me, and now you're traveling across the continent to help me when you have nothing to gain from it."

Felix's eyes drifted away from her gaze.

"To be honest, if our positions were reversed, I don't think I would have helped you." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Don't forget how we met." Felix said. "You didn't have any idea who I was, or why I was about to throw myself in the chasm, but you still tried to stop me. I think you're more caring than you realize."

She stared at him for a moment, and then smiled. She slid next to him on the ground, looking up at the stars with him. He was a bit surprised to see her do so, but he didn't complain.

"The stars are beautiful." She said softly.

"That's why I look at them." He replied.

"Is there anything more beautiful than the stars?" She asked.

"If there is, I haven't seen it."

She shifted to her side, resting her chin on her hand and looking at him. "This love thing... the people who feel it seem to enjoy it."

"They do."

"Have you ever been in love, Felix?"

Images of Mia came flooding back into his head, along with the pain that accompanied them. Any happiness that he had once felt when he thought of her was gone, replaced only by pain.

And he dreaded his arrival in Imil because of this. He didn't want to see her again, but he knew she would find him. He knew fate was merciless, and would not spare him the pain that awaited him there. He could try to avoid her, but he knew the encounter would happen either way.

He would have his revenge, as it was all he had to look forward to. And then the pain could wash over him. It wouldn't matter after that.

"Yeah, I have." He muttered.

"Is it nice?" Xion asked him.

Felix sighed. "Only if you can lie to yourself."

She was clearly confused by this, but it was the only answer she would get. Felix was done talking, and he wanted to enjoy a few more minutes of the stars before he retired for the night.

Xion rolled back on her back and looked up at the stars with him. Her eyes lingered on the moon, but she was taking in all of it.

Felix's gaze lingered on one star in particular. One he had never seen before. A bright red one that had not been there the night before.

 

One month later...

Garet had played cards with the strange man for two hours before dinner had been served, most of which had been in silence. The man was polite enough, but he was also very mysterious, and used cards and gambling as a metaphor for everything, which quickly got on Garet's nerves.

Garet quickly forgot the man once he had a steaming hot plate of fresh meat in his hands. He gobbled down his food, then got seconds, and then thirds. Once he was at last full, and very tired, and stumbled his way on to his room. He scanned the lobby, trying to find the gambler, but he was gone.

Garet made his way to his room, and stepped inside. He collapsed on the bed, breathing a breath of relief.

The moon was high in the sky, but it's silver glow was barely visible with the soft, blue glow of Mercury Lighthouse's beacon illuminating the room.

Garet, content to sleep in his now-dry travel clothes, pulled the sheets up and rested his head on the pillow. He expected himself to be asleep in minutes, but somehow, he just felt uncomfortable. He slid his hand under the pillow to adjust it, and his fingers brushed against something.

He pulled his hand out from under the pillow, a small card between his fingers. It was just like the cards the gambler had been using, a white emblem on the back, and a blue clock on front.

As he stared in bewilderment at the card in his hands, something clicked in place. He had seen the card earlier. It was the one the gambler had drawn that had cost him his game of solitaire. His losing card.

The number on the card was thirteen.

Though Garet didn't pride himself on his recollection of minor details, something else about the card he held was bugging him. He was certain he hadn't seen it at all during his long game of poker, which didn't make sense. They'd gone through the entire deck at least four times.

And yet he couldn't remember seeing the number thirteen again that night. Until now.

Suddenly, he felt the presence of another. Garet rose from his bed faster than one would expect and slid his sword out of the bag at his feet. He summoned a ball of fire into his free hand, illuminating the room.

He was alone.

It didn't make sense. The room had been locked, and the key had been his pocket all afternoon. The gambler had only left his sight after he had retired to the room himself. How had the man placed the card in his room?

And why?

A flash of movement in the corner of his eye caught Garet's attention. He whirled around, facing the window of his room. He had just seen something move on the streets below, he could swear it.

He stuffed the card in his pocket. Letting the fireball he held dissipate, Garet darted out the room, racing down the stairs and out the front door of the Inn. The streets were covered in snow, and everything had a blue hue to it from the Lighthouse. There was not a soul in sight.

Garet ran down the street in the direction he had spotted the movement. He rounded a corner, gripping his sword tight. Still nothing...

Suddenly he spotted a bit of black rounding another corner. Just a flash, a shadow within a shadow.

Garet raced after it, tearing through the snow at his feet. The snow was falling in piles; he was already covered in snow.

He reached the corner, and tried to turn in the snow. He tried. His foot caught on something under the snow, and he slipped. His knee hit the hard road under the snow, tearing the skin off the surface. His elbow hit the road, and the same thing happened. He couldn't help but yell.

Despite the pain, he looked up, hoping to see whoever it was he was chasing. But he was nothing. If a person had gone around that corner when he had seen that flash, they would not have been able to get away before Garet had arrived.

He sat up, winching from the shocks of pain that shot through his arm and leg. Nothing was broken, but he was bleeding at his knee and elbow. He had received injuries far worse during his journey across Weyard. It wasn't serious, but it still hurt. It was almost funny, how little tolerance he had for pain.

Had he been chasing someone, or had that all been in his imagination? Was he jumping at shadows? Garet wasn't at all a paranoid person. But that gambler had to have got in his room somehow and placed that thirteen card under his pillow. Come to think of it, had it even been a thirteen card? Garet was pretty sure playing cards didn't go past twelve. He needed to double check, his room had been dark.

He reached in his pocket to take another look at that card...

And it was gone.

Before he could process what had just happened, light illuminated the street behind him. He stood up and spun around. He had fallen right in front of the town's sanctum, the doors of which were now open. A small, blonde girl stood in the doorway, staring at him.

"I, uh... I heard you scream..." She said nervously.

Garet recognized the girl immediately. She was one of Mia's apprentices. She'd grown a bit since Garet had last seen her, but he never forgot a face.

"Yeah, I scraped my knee." He muttered.

"Well don't just stand there, come inside!" She said, beckoning.

He considered. No harm in getting his knee and elbow fixed before he made his way back to the Inn. He followed her inside.

A small boy was at the altar, though he was passed out asleep. The girl pulled up a chair for Garet, and he sat down.

"I'm Garet." He said.

"Megan." She replied. She went to her knees and took a look at his scraped knee.

"This bad at all, but I'll have to sterilize it before I heal it."

"Uh, sure..."

Garet saw the soft glow of Psynergy around her as she cast a healing spell on him. "What were you doing, running around the streets this late?" She asked.

"I uh... I was looking for someone, and I thought I saw them."

Megan looked up at him, studying his face. "I've seen you before. Aren't you one of Mia's friends? One of the ones that took her away back when the Lighthouse was lit?"

"Yeah." No sense lying to the girl.

The psynergy ceased. Garet thought she might have stopped because she didn't like him for taking Mia away, but she was actually done. His knee was healed, the skin replaced.

"Have you come to see her?" Megan asked suspiciously.

"Why else would I be here?" Garet replied.

"You better not be here to hurt her again." She said.

"No, why would I do that?" Garet was confused.

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Ever since she came back from your village, she's been hurt. One of you people hurt her, and she's always crying about it now."

Garet hadn't expected that. "No, I just came to talk to her."

"Just as long as you aren't planning on hurting her anymore. Between the Lighthouse, Alex the bastard, and this business with you people, she deserves a break."

The girl noticed his elbow. "Here, I'll get that, too." She started to heal him again.

"Did Mia say anything about what happened?"

Megan shook her head. "She doesn't like to talk about it."

"Why are you two here alone?" Garet asked, suddenly thinking of this.

"Normally, Mia covers the night shifts, but we let her have the day off. She was pretty upset this evening, even more so than usual. And with the fountain running dry again, fevers are breaking out, so we were busy today. She did the bulk of the healing, and she was tired."

"Wait, the fountain ran dry? Why?"

"No idea. Only Mia goes inside the Lighthouse these days, we're too young. It only happened a few days ago, and she's been too busy to look into it yet."

"Oh."

Megan finished healing his elbow. She stepped back, and he stood up.

"Thanks for healing me..." He said.

"Just be careful on your way back to the Inn. You are staying at the Inn, right?"

He nodded. He was about to step out of the sanctum, when he remembered something. "Hey Megan, can you do me a favor?"

"It depends on what it is." She said, crossing her arms.

"When you see Mia tomorrow, can you not tell her about seeing me? I kinda want to surprise her."

Megan narrowed her eyes again. Apparently she still didn't trust him. "You better now be up to anything."

"I promise, I'm not going to hurt her." Garet said.

"Fine. I'm trusting you, though. If she sheds one tear, you'll be sorry."

"I won't, I swear." And he stepped through the doors out into the cold.

The gambler was barely even on his mind now. He had so much more to think about. Was Mia just as hurt as Felix had been? Had there been more to the story than he knew? And how was she going to react when he told her Felix was dead? Life in Imil had never been easy, but it sounded like things were even worse for Mia right now than they had been before. Could he really bring more pain upon her?

As Garet walked sullenly back to the Inn through the blue-hued, snowy streets, he missed the figure watching him in the shadows.

Hidden beyond sight, a single eye looked down at the card the man held, and a grin split his face.


	7. Somewhat Damaged

The long bridge before the refugees stretched on for roughly half a mile, green fields visible on the other side. From where Jenna stood, the land of Kalay looked like a paradise, prosperous and green. The bridge they were preparing to cross was the last one they would have to face. Once on the other side, all that separated them from the refuge and safety of Kalay were a few miles of open, green field.

The people of Vale were camped out, south of Vault. They had spent a few days resting in the peaceful town, but Isaac had at last insisted they get moving. They were now taking an hour or two to rest up before the final stretch.

The pace they had set was infuriating to Jenna. During her journey with her brother, a trip like this would have taken only three or so days. The Valeans had been traveling for over a week, weighed down by children and the elderly. Jenna was bored. She couldn't wait to finally be in Kalay, so she could be done with travel for good.

Isaac was at the front of the crowd, awaiting a messenger from Kalay. He had taken the role of organizing the majority of the trek, as well as keeping the villagers safe.

The large mass of traveling villagers looked frightening to the local monsters, but a few had been bold (or starving) enough to attempt to go after some of the slower ones in the back. Only twice had monsters emerged from the surrounding forests to attack the villagers, but each time Isaac had dealt with them with long range earth psynergy. After a few had been crushed by falling stones, the others had turned tail and fled.

The villagers weren't as worried as Jenna would have thought. They had such trust in Isaac, such glowing adoration. Some had even suggested that had they remained where they were and rebuilt Vale, Isaac could have been the next mayor after Garet's grandfather died.

Speaking of Garet, Jenna felt his absence strongly. She could have used his company while traveling, as Isaac was too busy organizing the trek to spend much time with her.

Instead, Garet had run off to Imil to tell Mia about Felix's... disappearance. Jenna refused to say death. Even their parents seemed to have given up hope on their son's survival.

But Jenna still believed he was alive. Even when no one else would, she refused to accept that her brother was dead until she saw his body.

Jenna looked off in the distance. The messenger had arrived riding on a white horse, and Isaac was busy talking to him.

She wandered around a bit, eventually finding a tree under which she could rest. She sat down in the shade, closing her eyes and exhaling. She lost track of time as the wind blew through her hair.

Jenna wondered if her child would be a boy or a girl. She didn't really mind, so long as both of its parents were there for it. Nothing scared her more than the thought of her child growing up alone...

Like she had.

She was drifting off to sleep when a familiar voice roused her back awake.

"Enjoying the trip, Jenna?"

Her eyes shot open and she sprang to her feet. Isaac stood in front of her, but he wasn't the one who had spoke. The small, blonde haired boy atop the white horse had.

"Ivan!"

He slid off the horse and she ran up, hug-tackling him.

"Nice to see you, too." Ivan laughed.

"What a pleasant surprise." Jenna said, releasing him from the hug.

"I'm gonna be accompanying you for the rest of your trip." Ivan said. "Master Hammet has a large celebration planned for your arrival. He's been having new buildings built for the people of Vale to live in."

"Ivan's been busy." Isaac said. "Hammet put him in charge of the arrival of the refugees. What's your new title, Ivan?"

"Chief Immigration Overseer." Ivan said with a laugh. "And only sixteen years old."

"Everyone in Kalay is convinced that Ivan is going to take over Hammet's business." Isaac said. "There have been rumors of retirement."

"And exactly that, rumors." Ivan replied. "Master Hammet's only in his forties. He's not retiring any time soon."

Jenna laughed. It was nice to see a friend again, she had missed them all since they'd gone their separate ways after the journey. She was counting the days until her wedding, when everyone would come see her in Kalay. They would all be able to see one another again.

Except Felix...

Jenna pushed the dark thought out of her mind. He had to be alive, and she would make sure he was at her wedding, even if she had to send bounty hunters after him.

Ivan laughed at something Isaac said, and Jenna suddenly realized something. Ivan had no idea that Felix was gone. How would they tell him?

"I suppose it's time we get moving." Isaac said. "We don't want the villagers to get too comfortable in front of the bridge, or they might just settle a new village here!"

Ivan laughed and climbed back atop his horse. "I'll head to the front and coordinate the movement. You got the rear, Isaac?"

Isaac nodded.

"Perfect. Once we get to Kalay, we'll have plenty of time to catch up. You let Felix and Garet know if you see them, okay?"

"Uh... About that..."

"We will!" Jenna interrupted. "I can't wait to get there. Thanks for stopping by Ivan, it was nice to see you."

The small teenager flashed her a smile and rode off the front of the crowd. Isaac was giving her a strange look.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"Let's wait to tell him about Felix, okay?" Jenna said. "Seeing him cheered me up a bit, and I want to try to celebrate a little in Kalay before we start telling people he's missing. And hopefully Garet will get back soon."

Isaac nodded, understanding. "I have to go see my parents, before we get moving again. Since Ivan has me in the back, can you meet me there? We can talk while we travel."

Jenna nodded. "Alright."

Isaac headed off, disappearing into the sea of rising Valeans. Jenna sat back down against the tree, deciding to rest a few minutes move before she went to the rear of the group.

"Why are you not in higher spirits, young lady?" Came a voice from behind her. "A new home, newly-reunited parents, friends who care for you, and an upcoming marriage. Not to mention the child you carry. Why so sad?"

Jenna rose and looked around. There was no one there.

"Where are you?" She demanded.

"Other side, my dear."

Jenna stepped around to the other side of the tree. Sitting there in the shade was a small, old lady. Her face was pale and wrinkled, but very motherly. She wore clothes just as old and wrinkled as she was, and had a decrepit, rotting walking stick by her side. Almost white hair peaked out from under her drawn hood. Jenna was certain she had never seen her before, and yet her face looked strangely familiar.

"Ma'am, have you been sitting there this entire time?" Jenna asked, trying not to sound annoyed. She didn't like being spied on, but she was certain the old lady meant no harm by overhearing her conversation.

"Yes, my dear. I stopped to take a rest here, and haven't been able to rise."

"Here, let me help you." Jenna stepped over to her and helped the old woman rise. As she stood upon shaky legs, she leaned heavily on the gnarled staff in her hands just to stay standing.

"I fear I have been the one holding everyone back so much." The old lady chuckled. "Now dear, back to my question. Why are you so depressed? Everything is going so well for you."

Jenna looked down at the ground. "Well it is, but... My brother is gone."

"Your brother Felix? What happened to him?"

"Well... they say he killed himself. He just vanished from his tent at the edge of the chasm the night before we were to leave. But I don't believe he would do such a thing."

"You have faith in him, my dear. More faith than he deserves."

Jenna looked up at the old woman.

"Why do you put so much of your heart into someone who doesn't deserve it? All your brother does is focus on himself, on his own problems. He would rather drink and complain about about his girlfriend leaving him than be happy for his sister."

"That's not fair! He gave up a lot for us..."

"Not by his choice. The Proxians forced him into that. Tell me, would your brother really have saved the world if he hadn't been blackmailed into it?"

"He would have! Once he knew what was happening. He's acted selflessly so many times on our quest, just to help strangers in trouble. He's a very caring person."

The old lady chuckled, not so sweetly now. "Don't be so sure. All those people he helped... Did he help them because he cared or because he had something to gain?"

"What do you mean...?"

"Djinn, weapons, a psynergy-bestowing item... Was there any moment in your quest where your brother helped someone just for the sake of helping them?"

Jenna was taken aback. "Yeah, but he didn't always know there were things to gain from helping those people..."

"He didn't save the world because he wanted to spare the millions of people on it from a horrible death, he saved it so he could get mommy and daddy back. He's a selfish little bitch. He killed himself because he had nothing left, and you had everything. It was his final act of spite. He knew it would hurt you, to not have your brother there at your wedding. He's sitting in the underworld right now, laughing his ass off because he sees you cry for him."

"Shut up! Who are you? Why are you saying these things?"

A twisted, ugly grin split the old lady's wrinkled face. "It breaks my heart to see a pretty little thing like you waste your life, feeling pain for someone like Felix. Forget him. You don't need to mourn him anymore. Live your life, be happy. Don't feed your bastard brother with your tears any longer."

Jenna was nearly crying now. The old lady stepped up as thought to wipe her tears, but she roughly shoved the wrinkled hand away.

"That's good, let the anger out. Just remember who your true friends are, and who the anger should be directed at. Now before you run along to your handsome future husband, I have only one more thing to ask you. Did your brother ever have any intention of going to your wedding? Or did he just use the elders' banishment as an excuse?"

Jenna stepped back, hating the old hag before her. She turned and ran past the villagers, who were now slowly trudging along towards the bridge to Kalay. She glanced back at the tree only once, but she couldn't see past the people around her.

She wiped her tears away before she reached Isaac, who stood waiting for her by the wagons at the rear of the crowd.

"What took so long, Jenna? I was beginning to grow worried." He said as she ran into his arms.

"It's... It's nothing. I was just helping an old lady. Let's just go, I want to get to Kalay."

He held her in a warm embrace. "Don't worry, love. We'll be there before the sun sets."

They walked along in silence, Isaac holding her hand as they went. Jenna was thinking about the things the old lady had said. She didn't want to believe her, but...

The same doubts had been there, in the back of her mind. She'd just refused to believe them. Just like she was refusing to accept Felix's suicide.

Was she lying to herself? Was she making her brother out to be some kind of saint that he hadn't been?

As they passed the lone tree, Jenna looked out, expecting to see the old woman still standing there, grinning.

The hag wasn't there. But her staff was, propped up against the tree.

 

Felix and Xion made their way through the Bilibin Cave, though they hadn't entered from Bilibin. Their footsteps echoed as they made their way through the cold cavern, their only source of light being a torch that Felix carried.

Their journey of the past month had been a long and hard one, but it hadn't been miserable. Felix only allowed them to travel during the day, to avoid monsters. Xion hadn't seen any Weyard monsters yet, but judging from Felix's descriptions, she wasn't eager.

The terrain was rough and it rained often, but Xion found herself loving every day of it. Felix's mood was on and off, like it had been before, but on his good days, they'd have all kinds of fun. They ran out of stories pretty quickly, but they still had lots to talk about.

Felix taught her a lot about Weyard. She now knew the difference between Psynergy and magic, though she couldn't use either of them. And she also knew quite a bit about the history of this world, mostly involving the recent events of Alchemy's unsealing.

Felix was hesitant to discuss Alex, but she did manage to learn that he was on his way to Imil, just like them. Felix tried to hide it, but she could see he was eager to get there, and see his friend. It made Xion smile, every time she thought about how much Felix's friends meant to him. He was doing all this traveling, just to help out her and Alex. She liked that about him, how he appreciated and valued his friends.

She was glad she's found him. Despite his flaws, he was a good person.

She was eager to get to Imil and meet this Alex guy, to see what kind of person Felix cared so much for. They were nearly there, only the Bilibin Tunnel stood in there way. Xion was practically shaking she was so excited.

"How long is this tunnel?" Xion asked Felix.

"It's not that long." Felix said. "The trek to Imil that we'll have to take after it is worse. There always seems to be a blizzard in these parts, and the monsters around here are pretty vicious."

Xion looked up at the cavern ceiling. "So we're underneath a mountain right now?" She asked, amazed.

Felix nodded. "Yup. Several, in fact. There's a whole range of them that we've passed under already."

They had been traveling underground for several hours now. Felix was trying not to feel claustrophobic. He'd always hated this tunnel.

"You seem to know this place well." Xion said. "How many times have you been through here?"

"This is my third trip." Felix replied. "My first was years ago, back before my group had stolen the Elemental Stars from Vale. We were traveling to meet someone in Imil who Saturos had been in contact with for several weeks. The second time was during our adventure, we were off to Mercury Lighthouse to fire the beacon."

"Wow, you've done so much." Xion said.

"I guess." Felix muttered.

The person they had been traveling to meet had been Alex, of course. Had Felix known back then what he knew now...

He glanced over at Xion. He didn't know how he would come clean to her for lying about Alex. Hopefully she wouldn't be around when Felix finally found the man, and gutted him like a pig.

"This place sure is cold." Xion shivered, pulling her black cloak around her small body. She almost wished she was till wearing her Organization coat, but she had left it behind, burying it by a river near the mouth of the cave they were in now. If she ever needed it again for some reason, such as to use a dark corridor, she would return and dig it back up.

"It doesn't get any warmer." Felix added. There was more behind those words, but only he understood. Suddenly, he heard something, and he stopped.

"This place almost reminds me of the castle..." Xion began, but Felix quickly shushed her. She turned to him, somewhat irritated.

"What is-"

He quickly silenced her. His hand went to the hilt of his sword, and he slowly began to slide the blade out. He dropped his bag on the ground.

Xion, realizing there was danger, also drew her katana. Now that there was silence, she could hear what had alarmed Felix: the faint sound of rustling chains.

Felix bent down and stuck the torch in the ground, burying the bottom shaft in the ice below them. Then he leaped back to his feet and raised his sword just in time to block the first attack.

Four of them emerged from the shadows, and they were the most hideous creatures Xion had ever seen. They had sickly green skin, long pointed ears, hairless heads, and torn cloth for clothes. Broken chains were at their wrists, and sharp teeth gaped from their mouths, saliva frothing at the sight of their potential meals.

"Ghouls!" Felix exclaimed as the first one swung it's claws at him. The sudden attack forced Felix back against the frozen wall behind them. A second ghoul charged at him as the first's drooling mouth snapped at Felix's neck, held back only by his sword.

Xion was concerned for him, but she had to worry about herself first. The second two ghouls came for her, but luckily she had more time to prepare. She raised her katana, wielding it with two hands like a keyblade. Felix had been wise to stick the torch in the ground she noticed, or else he would have dropped it in the snow and they would be blind.

As the first ghoul closed in on her, she swung her blade down, slicing it's arm off at the shoulder. In the moments after she did that, she expected the creature to collapse and disappear, as Heartless always did from such injuries, so she readjusted her battle stance to attack the second.

But the first didn't vanish. It didn't even seem to react to the injury which was gushing out green blood like a garden hose. It just raised it's undamaged arm and swung. Unprepared for the attack that was about to come, Xion could do nothing as the claws of the beast slashed her across her stomach.

She screamed in pain, but managed to keep her mind in battle mode. As the ghoul opened it's mouth, about to bite her arm, she pulled her katana back and plunged it into the creature's mouth, the blade piercing its skull and emerging on the other side. The monster collapsed, dead.

Xion's stomach was burning from pain, but she forced it out of her mind. As the second ghoul was nearly upon her, she tied to pull her sword out of the first ghoul's head, but it was stuck. The second ghoul reached her and went straight to bite her throat. Unable to do anything else, she raised her arm free arm to block it.

The ghoul's razor sharp teeth pierced the flesh of her arm, plunging all the way down to the bone. She screamed, pushing the creature back as best she could. It's teeth came out of her arm, blood gushing out of the deep wound. The ghoul's teeth were stained red with her blood, but there was also drops of green fluid dripping from them.

Xion's mind felt on fire from the pain. With her last bit of strength, she ripped her sword out of the first ghoul's skull and swung it, slicing off the second's head. It's body stood for a moment, before crumbling to the floor in a twisted heap.

Xion dropped her sword and fell to her knees. The pain she felt was so bad, she couldn't focus on anything else. She faintly heard the sound of a ghoul screaming in pain before her muscles gave out.

Even in her agonized state, she could tell something was wrong. She had been injured on missions before. Her body shouldn't have been reacting the way it was. The pain was spreading all through her body, and all the muscles in her body felt stiff and rigid.

Her vision was getting hazy. Something was seriously wrong. She couldn't even scream anymore. She felt she could barely breath.

Felix plunged his sword into the chest of the second ghoul that had attacked him. It slid off his blade, dead.

He had heard Xion scream twice, but the ghouls attacking him had been so vicious he hadn't even had a chance to see what was happening to her. Luckily, he hadn't heard the sounds of the ghouls tearing up her flesh, so she must still be alive.

He turned over to see the two ghouls that had attacked Xion lying dead around her. He was at first relieved, until he noticed her lying in a pool of her own red blood.

Terrified, he raced to her side and flipped her over. Her beautiful face was stained with blood, and her eyes were glazed over. She was still breathing, though.

He quickly inspected her injuries. She had a slash across her stomach, which was seeping blood, and a bite in her left arm.

She had been bitten...

Felix quickly used healing Psynergy to close the wounds and raced to his dropped bag, tearing through his supplies. He prayed he hadn't forgotten it when he was shopping...

He hadn't! He grabbed the small blue flower and raced back to Xion's side. He tilted her head back, crushing the flower up to small pieces and forcing her to swallow it.

Xion's head fell back as the antidote entered her body, slowly purging the poison from her system. Felix cursed himself for being careless. He should have warned her about the ghouls before they even entered the cavern. Poison was a tricky condition. It was different for every monster. Sometimes poison could be left untreated for hours before it began to have negative effects on the victim. Other monsters' poison however, was fast acting, and usually lethal.

Unfortunately, Xion seemed to have gotten the latter.

Now it was up to fate. If the poison had gotten deep enough into Xion's system, the antidote would be useless and she would die. Felix prayed he wasn't too late.

The minutes ticked by, agonizingly slow. As her condition remained unchanged, Felix began to fear she was gone.

Slowly, however, color began to return to her cheeks. The antidote slowly cleansed her system, bringing her back to health.

Felix breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe.

 

As dawn broke among Imil, the fresh rays of sunlight cast their pleasant smile upon Garet, who gently woke from sleep. The blue glow of Mercury Lighthouse was now fading away, replaced by the familiar warmth of the friendly sun.

A smile graced Garet's face as he slowly turned over, looking out the window at the beautiful rising, golden sun.

Then he realized how early it was. With a groan he pulled the blankets over his head and went back to sleep.

It was nearly noon by the time Garet woke for real. No concerns were on his mind as he made his way down the stairs to the lobby, where he was sure a fresh meal awaited him. No concerns about Mia, the gambler man, or the mysterious thirteen card were on his mind as he sleepily made his way through the lobby and asked about breakfast.

The cook told him in a voice that seemed way too loud to Garet's virgin ears that there way no more breakfast left, and he would have to wait for him to finish preparing lunch.

So Garet once again found himself slouched over one of the tables, impatiently awaiting something to eat. He couldn't get ready for the day on an empty stomach.

At last, after deciding that he was being served by the slowest cook in the world, Garet finally heard the bell ring that signaled a meal served. Garet raced up, but found himself stuck at the end of the line behind a hunchbacked old man with a sick cough.

Once the old man finally got to the front of the line, he scratched his beard, trying to decide what to eat. It took all Garet had not to shake the geezer from frustration.

After what felt like an eternity, he returned to his table with a plate of steaming meat. What animal or monster the meat had come from, Garet knew better than to ask.

He wolfed his food down. As an experienced eater, he could pull off having steak for breakfast.

His stomach at last satisfied, he returned to his room and gathered up his belongings. He strapped his sword on his back, knowing better than to leave it behind. He may have been a laid-back joker, but he was no fool.

He then locked the room up and left, letting the innkeeper know that he would be staying another night. He walked through the snowy streets of Imil, which was now occupied, though not by many. A few children, here and there, and a man who was exercising, out in the old. Snow was not currently falling, but it did so often in Imil that the streets were always covered.

Garet's mind drifted back to the previous day. Most of what he remembered seemed to be him waiting around for the cook to make him something to eat, much like he had just got done doing. He remembered playing cards with a blonde haired man with a strange accent, and he remembered talking to Mia apprentice, Megan.

He also seemed to remember a strange nightmare involving a card, but he couldn't recall the details.

Garet made his way to the town's sanctum, where he expected Mia to be. He remembered having gone there the night before, but Mia had been resting from a hard day of healing. He had only seen that Megan girl when he stopped by.

As he crossed the bridge over the frozen river, he got his first glimpse of the sanctum that day, which surprised him.

There was a long line of coughing people outside the sanctum doors. As Garet watched, a villager emerged from the sanctum and another one stepped inside. He couldn't see what was happening beyond the doors, but he was sure the people were getting treated by Mia and her apprentices. He remember Megan mentioning a fever spreading due to the fountain running dry. Apparently it was the same fever that had been going around Imil the first time Garet had been there.

Though Garet badly wanted to see Mia, he decided to wait until the line was gone. She was busy, and he didn't want to get too close to the sick people.

Garet once again found himself waiting with nothing to do. The minutes ticked by, Garet pacing up and down the steps near the bridge trying to entertain himself. As he paced, he stubbed his toe on something hidden in the snow, holding back curse words as his toe ached. Frustrated, he dug around until he found what he'd accidentally kicked.

It was a stone shaped like a cube. Roughly the size of a fist, but very heavy and dense, like it was made out gold or something. Yet it was a very dull pale of gray, so dull in fact, that just looking at it depressed Garet. He picked it up to examine it, but the moment he touched it, something happened.

Images flashed through his head or a figure in a dark coat with a drawn hood racing through the streets of Imil at night. He mysterious figure darted around a corner, the stone cube in its hand. As the figure ran, he or she slipped on a patch of ice, the cube dropping from the hands carrying it and disappearing in the deep snow. The hooded figure dug desperately through the snow, trying to fins their cube, but just then someone darted around the corner, looking around wildly. The hooded figure gave up, and ran, creating a black hole of energy around the next corner and vanishing. Back where the cube had fallen, a large, red-haired man raced after the hooded figure, unaware they had just disappeared. A card slipped out of the man's pocket as he rounded the corner, falling in the snow behind him. The red-haired man ran forward, stepping on the stone cube as he took a hasty step. Thrown off-balance, he fell, landing painfully on his knee and elbow.

Garet let go of the cube and took a step back. What he had just seen matched his nightmare from last night perfectly. And yet, it had been too vivid to have been a dream. It had to have been real.

Garet hesitantly picked up the cube again. No more visions struck him this time, though the small stone seemed to be vibrating. He inspected it. It had a strange, white emblem on one of it's sides.

He stuck the cube in his pocket, making sure he buttoned it closed, something he had forgotten to do earlier, which was why he had lost the card. Remembering the card, he made his way back over to the spot where he had seen it fall in his vision, expecting to still see it there.

It wasn't there. He dug around in the snow for a bit, thinking it had just been buried, but it was nowhere to be found. Someone must have picked it up, he concluded.

The gambler had been wearing the same black coat the man in the vision had been wearing. The man in the vision had to be the same person, fleeing from Garet at night. Whatever was going on with this man, he had clearly lost the cube, which was something important to him. That much Garet figured. Why he had placed a card in Garet's room, and why, were still unknown.

Hopefully Garet would find this man and get some answers out of him.

With the stone cube in his pocket, Garet went down the stairs and looked out to the sanctum again. The line was all but gone, only a single old man in green remaining, who stepped inside before the doors shut.

Garet made his way down to the sanctum, stopping at the front gates. He took a deep breath, ready to confront Mia at last. As he was about to reach out and open the door, he felt the sensation of being hit by a train.

The entire stone altar, which had been thrown with superhuman force through the door, slammed into Garet with enough power to crush an ordinary human. Garet was pushed off his feet, flying back and slamming against a tree. As he was being hit by both the huge block of stone and the tree simultaneously, he felt like he was being crushed like an insect caught between two hands clapping.

Garet's body did not break, but the tree behind him did. It split clean in two, the top piece spinning off in the direct Garet had just come from.

Garet himself just kept flying. He was went over where the tree had been, the stone altar still hugging his body as he landed on the frozen river.

Had it only been his weight, he would have been fine. However, the stone altar somehow managed to land right on top of him, only a split second after he had slammed against the hard ice. The stone altar then struck Garet with just as much force as it had a moment ago, crashing through the two or so feet of ice beneath them.

As Garet was pushed into the bone-chilling water, the stone altar (which was now cracked in the middle from hitting Garet twice) split off in two pieces and sank into the water below Garet.

This all happened in less than five seconds.

Garet's body was numb. He had been hit by so much force, he hadn't even felt any pain when it happened. When his brain, struggling to process what had just happened to him, finally caught up, the amount of pain that hit him was so excruciating that he screamed underwater so loudly that he could probably be heard above on the surface.

He somehow managed to remember the tiny scrapes he had received the night before from tripping on the cube. It was almost funny to him how minor and incomparable they seemed to what he was feeling now. He was suffering from an agony that only an Adept could experience. A normal human's body would be crushed flat by now, after getting hit by that stone altar twice.

His survival instincts kicked in, after he realized that he had been underwater for over a minute already. He realized that if he didn't do something immediately, and get back above the surface, he would drown.

He forced his stiff, nearly useless body to move. He pointed his hands down at the bottom of the river, casting the strongest Psynergy he had: Liquifier.

The fire never appeared, as he was underwater, but the energy was there. And the backlash force that hit him was so intense, it forced him back up at twice the speed he had been moving flying through the air before.

Garet's body then received the third impact within the last two minutes that would have killed a normal human. He burst through the ice from below, flying about fifty feet in the air, before coming back down. He landed again on the frozen river in a different spot. This time, the impact only knocked the wind out of him, causing him to cough up a lungful of water.

Garet lay there, struggling to breath and to get his head to stop spinning. His senses then started coming back to him, one by one. The first thing he heard was a panicked female voice.

"Garet!"

He slowly looked up to see Mia running towards him across the frozen river. He could see two huge holes in the ice yards away, from where he had burst through each time.

"Oh gods, Garet... are you alright?" Mia exclaimed, running to his side.

"S-Seriously, Mia...?" He coughed. "Did you SEE what happened to me? Did you SEE what I got HIT by...?"

Mia quickly cast as much healing Psynergy on him as his body could take. About two dozen broken bones repaired themselves, and he could swear he felt an organ somewhere stitching itself back together. Despite the vibrating pain that still radiated through his body, Mia slowly helped him to his feet.

"Gods, Garet I don't know how you survived that..." Mia said in awe.

"Why, Mia?" He gasped. "Why did your sanctum's altar come flying out your front door like a missile?"

Mia didn't say a word. She merely pointed at the open doors of the sanctum. Garet's eyes followed her direction, and he got a good glimpse of the person who had kicked the altar so hard, it had burst through the front door, shattered a tree, broke the surface of the frozen lake, and nearly killed Garet.

Standing in the front door was the feeble old man with the hunched back.

"No." Garet just said. "I refuse to believe that."

He heard a laugh come from the old man. And then he saw why.

The old man straightened his back, pulled off his fake beard, and threw off his shabby green cloak.

Revealing the short blonde hair and black coat Garet had been expecting.

"I believe you have something of mine."


	8. Underneath it All

For the second time since he'd met her, Felix stood watching Xion and waiting for her to awaken.

He had carried her over his shoulder through the rest of the cave. It hadn't been a hard trip, as she was light and they had been fairly close to the exit already, but he'd spent the whole time concerned for her, waiting for her to awaken.

He had also used up all the golden feathers he had purchased, to ensure that no more monsters had appeared. Had another group of four ghouls attacked them, or any other monster in those parts for that matter, it could have been disastrous.

He had emerged from the cave into a surprisingly calm weather, which was a much-needed mercy. He quickly took Xion to a secluded area behind some nearby boulders, and used his earth psynergy to block the area off.

That had been about an hour and a half ago.

Some color had returned to her cheeks, and her breathing was steadier, but something wasn't right. By everything Felix knew about monsters and their abilities, simple cave ghouls shouldn't have had poison strong enough to incapacitate a human to that level. She should have been awake already.

Twice he'd tried casting Revive on her, but with no results. He'd dosed her with every healing item he had in his bag, but nothing. None of his djinn seemed to be able to bring her back to consciousness, either.

He was out of ideas. And he was worried.

The sun was barely at the peak of the sky, but Felix was watching it with the eye of a concerned parent. Night wouldn't fall for hours, but if they didn't set out soon, the trip across the snow lands wouldn't be finished with the blessing of sunlight. Should they be traveling when night fell, it would be dark. Mercury Lighthouse's beacon would keep them moving in the right direction, but they wouldn't be able to see the ground in front of them.

And should they get attacked by a mauler in the dark...

Felix's worst fear however, was the scenario he envisioned where Xion didn't wake up at all that day, and they were still where they were when night fell, miles away from the safety of Imil. With no golden feathers to keep monsters away, and the smell of fresh meat in the air, they would come in the dozens. The stone barrier he had erected would hold them off for a while, but eventually a powerful and tenacious mauler would burst through. Felix would already have his sword drawn as they came crawling through. He would hold them back as long as he could, slaying several of them as he struggled to keep them away from Xion's helpless body. But soon, one would slip past him, or he would be struck down. Either way, they would feast on her first. He would watch in horror for a few moments as the vicious teeth of some horrible beast would tear off chunks of her flesh, before he felt the same thing happening to him. The only relief he would have was the knowledge that Xion's incapacitation was at least sparing her the agony he felt...

He shook his head, clearing the awful thoughts from his mind. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen, at least not to her. It was his fault she was hurt, and he would die before he let anything else happen to her!

Felix went to Xion's side and picked her up. He had made a decision. He would do the first selfless thing he had done since meeting her. He would get her to Imil, where there was warmth, safety, and a skilled healer. He would get her there even if it killed him.

Felix took off running towards the faint, blue glow of Mercury Lighthouse, Xion in his arms.

Not a minute after he'd begun running, did nature itself seem to turn on him. A fierce blizzard howled to life almost out of nowhere, the sharp, icy winds blowing directly into his face. Snow and hail began to fall, nearly blinding him. But still he kept on running towards the blue light.

The snow beneath him piled up quickly. He was soon charging through knee-high snow. His legs felt like they were on fire. But he didn't even stop to think about himself. The only thing on his mind was the small, raven-haired girl in his arms, who he was determined to save no matter what.

Even as the snow morphed into rain, soaking him and seemingly doubling his weight. Even as he began to hear the howls of monsters emerging, creatures that slept in the day awakening hours before their time just to chase him.

Despite all this, he kept going. He was going to protect her.

No matter what.

 

The man before Garet and Mia stood with a smug grin on his face. He didn't make a move, just standing there watching Garet recover from the inhuman blow he'd just received.

"Garet, how do you feel?" Mia asked him, concern in her voice.

"Like crap." He muttered. "But not as bad as Jupiter Lighthouse, when my arm popped out of its socket. Man, that hurt."

Mia just stared at him. "Garet, you got hit by the sanctum's altar. Which was made of stone. It had to weigh at least a ton. Are you sure you're alright?"

Garet shook his head. "Forget about me. I wanna know who he is." He pointed at the grinning gambler.

Mia's gaze shifted to the man in the sanctum. "His name is Luxord. He showed up about three weeks ago. I don't much about him."

"Did you know he was freakishly strong?" Garet asked.

Mia shook her head. "I didn't even know he was an Adept. It just thought he was some traveling gambler. And when that hunchbacked old man walked into the sanctum, I thought he was just that... an old man. I did not expect it to be him."

"Some really weird stuff's been going on with him..." Garet said.

"I think he wants you, Garet." Mia warned. "Before he kicked the altar, he said something about you being outside. I don't know what's going on, but we can't just let this guy run around after that."

"I was just thinking the same thing." Garet said. He pulled his sword out from its sheath on his back and started approaching Luxord. Mia followed, her mace in her hands. As they approached him, the weather started to change, turning from lazy snowfall to rain in seconds. Mia noticed this, but put it out of her mind for the time being.

Luxord continued smiling as they approached. "I see you'd like to play a game, is that right?"

"Yeah!" Garet replied. "It's called bashing in your face!"

Luxord reached in his pockets and pulled out his deck of cards. He started shuffling them as he spoke. "Is the lovely young lady going to be joining us this time?"

"Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it." Mia glared. He pointed her mace at him. Mia may have looked delicate, but Garet had seen her do some damage with those things.

"We can resolve this without violence, you know." Luxord said. "Just hand me the key, and you can go."

"What key?" Garet exclaimed. "What are you talking about? Why doesn't anything you say or do make sense?"

"You're dull as a worn blade. No wonder you're so bad at cards."

"Shut up! Speaking of cards, why'd you put one in my room? What are you, some kind of creep?"

For the first time since Garet had met him, Luxord's poker face was broken. He showed the briefest flash of surprise. "I never did that. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatever, man. I'm going to beat you senseless for kicking that stone thing in my face no matter what you say. Draw your weapon."

Luxord shuffled his card once more, the grin returning to his face. "Well, if we're going to battle, let's make things interesting. Life is, after all, one big game."

Garet and Mia stood, watching him intently. Luxord raised his free hand in the air and snapped his fingers.

Nothing happened.

They watched him, slightly confused. Maybe he was just mad, Garet thought.

Luxord realized nothing had happened after a moment, and his expression really changed. Genuine surprise appeared on his face, and he snapped his fingers again, clearly expecting something to happen. When it didn't, he definitely looked worried.

"I don't... where is the... why...?" He struggled to get the words out.

Tired of waiting, Garet gave the scream of a warrior and lunged at Luxord, swinging his sword at the man's neck. Despite his shock, Luxord jumped out of the way, leaping backwards into the sanctum.

As he hadn't had much time to think about it while Garet was attacking him, Luxord then realized that he'd just worked his way into a corner. Mia charged at him, he heavy iron mace raised above her head.

"You hurt my friend and desecrate my sanctum?" She screamed. Luxord rolled out of the way as her mace struck the sanctum floor, leaving a huge dent. He then ran past her, towards the entrance where Garet stood.

The red-haired warrior raised his blade for another stroke, but Luxord was ready. The gambler threw a card at Garet's chest, which expanded in size and struck him like a sheet of steel.

Garet flew backwards and landed in the snow. Luxord leaped past him, drawing a hand of three cards. He tossed these in front of him, which formed large shields, blocking him from view.

Behind his shield, Luxord drew several more cards, preparing for an attack as the Adepts came around. However, what he didn't expect was for the ground below him to explode in a blast of ice and fire.

His shield cards disappeared, and Luxord flex backwards. Several small shards of ice were stuck in his arms and legs, and he was burned in several spots.

As he rose, Garet and Mia stood with hands raised, having just attacked Luxord with psynergy. Garet raised his sword, preparing to charge at the gambler.

Luxord scrambled to his feet as Garet closed the distance between them. He leaped back, just barely keeping his head.

Luxord landed on the frozen river, and realized suddenly that his footing was gone. He slipped on the ice, his cards spilling out of his hands all around him. He landed on his knees, and gathered up as many of the cards as he could. Glancing up, he saw that Garet and Mia had almost reached him already.

To Luxord, all life was a gamble. On most days, the odds seemed to be in his favor. This day was not one of them, he was quickly realizing.

As Garet and Mia came down on him, their weapons above their heads, Luxord quickly tossed a card in the air to form a shield. The shield blocked the attacks, but it still shattered from the impact. The Nobody somehow managed to get to his feet as this happened, and took off away from the Adepts.

As Luxord disappeared around the corner, Garet bent down and picked up one of his cards.

"These are definitely the same as the one I found in my room." He mused. "But that doesn't explain why he would put it there in the first place."

Mia glanced at him. "He asked him earlier, and he didn't seem to know what you were talking about."

"Oh, right." Garet tossed the card back in the pile and blasted them with psynergy. In seconds, the stack of cards was incinerated. "I've never seen someone fight with cards before, but I doubt he'll be able to use them if they're burnt to ash."

Mia nodded. "Let's go. He can't have gotten too far."

The two Adepts raced through the streets of Imil, in the direction Luxord had gone. Behind them, the small pile of cards was engulfed in flame, until only ash remained.

A few citizens stood outside their doors, watching the super-powered battle, but most had enough common sense to stay indoors. Luxord rushed past them, trying to lose the Adepts at his heels in the twists and turns of the streets. He carried what remained of his deck, barely a fraction of what he'd had before.

For the first time in his existence, he felt a shadow of fear. He'd never been so pushed in a battle before. He had always been a confident fighter, who played games with his opponents for his own amusement. But never before had so much gone wrong in a battle for him.

First, his magic had failed him. He hadn't been able to hide his surprise when that had happened. Then, the Adepts had surprised him with their strength and speed. Even the healer Mia could deal some heavy wounds if she were to hit him with her mace. But then, almost humiliatingly, he'd slipped on ice and dropped his cards.

Now he was fleeing for his life. Luxord was certainly not having a good day.

He reached the southern edge of town, at the entrance. His plan was to flee to the nearby forests, gather his bearings, and plan another attack. He hadn't expected the Adepts to put up such a fight. He'd been too careless.

"There he is!" Garet shouted, at last reaching the street before the entrance. Mia quickly followed behind him.

Luxord was out of breath already, but he forced himself to keep running, tearing through the snow-covered streets towards the forests on the edge of town. He'd have to deal with monsters there, but it was better than the alternative.

The two Adepts pursued him out of the village. Realizing their tenacity, he tossed one of his remaining cards behind him, which expanded into a shield.

Garet threw a massive fireball at the card, tearing right through it without even slowing down.

"That's not going to help you now!" The Adept taunted behind him. The boy's voice was closer, Luxord noted. The heavy rainfall was making Luxord's black coat heavy, and the snow at his feet was turning into slush.

Luxord whipped back around, tossing another of his cards. This one flew straight, and its edge struck Mia in the chest, knocking her off her feet. She exclaimed as she roughly landed on the ground, no more snow left to cushion her fall.

"Mia!" Garet shouted, racing to her side.

Luxord chuckled mirthlessly as his first stroke of luck for the day. The human's useless heart was going to buy him the time to get away.

Luxord spun around as he ran away, before running face-first into a wall of green.

Momentarily struck dizzy, he shook his head to see what he'd just ran into. A tall, brown-haired warrior stood before him. His sword was drawn, and his green cloak was soaked in blood.

Another Adept, Luxord realized, something close to dread seizing him.

"Another member of the Organization?" The man before him laughed in frustration. "Perfect. Just what I needed right now. Hopefully you won't take too long to beat, because I'm tired."

The Nobody was confused for a moment. How did this man know about the Organization? Then a black blur behind him caught Luxord's eye, and it clicked.

His target lay unconscious, propped up against a tree. Her clothes were different, and her face was as pale as the snow around her, but there was no mistaking it. He'd found her, just not in the circumstances he'd hoped for.

The Adept before him crossed his arms. "Well? Are you going to get up or not? I don't want to have to kill a kneeling enemy, but I will."

Luxord sprang to his feet. "Listen to me." He said, thinking as quickly as his brain could. "I know that girl behind you. Her name's Xion, right? We were friends back where she came from. I came here to find her, but these two behind me are trying to kill me."

From their distance, Felix couldn't make out the shape of Garet kneeling over Mia. "What's your name?" He asked the Nobody suspiciously.

"Roxas." Luxord lied.

Felix unfolded his arms and entered his battle stance. "That's funny, since she told me Roxas was her age and had spiky hair. Let's try that again."

Luxord glanced around wildly. Garet had risen from Mia's side, who remained unconscious on the ground, and was approaching them slowly, his sword in hand.

"Damn it!" Luxord exclaimed. He threw one of his last cards at Felix at close distance, which slammed into the Adept with enough force to send him flying back.

"What the-?" Felix exclaimed, as he hit the ground behind him. He hadn't expected an attack like that. He never got an explanation however, as Luxord had made a break for it, racing towards the woods.

Despite the attack from mere seconds ago, Felix was back on his feet in an instant. He raised his left hand, hurling Venus Psynergy at the fleeing Nobody. A massive sword of energy flew into the ground just behind Luxord. The Nobody was hurled off his feet by the impact, some blood spraying from a wound Felix couldn't see from where he stood. For a second, Luxord appeared dead, but he stumbled back to his feet, and limped off into the woods. He was now too far away for Felix to reach.

"Damn." Felix muttered. Had the man seen Xion? How had he known where to find them? Axel must have betrayed them, just as he'd predicted.

"I don't believe it..." Garet gasped as he reached Felix. "You lucky bastard! We all thought you were dead!"

Felix turned back to him. "I nearly was. If it hadn't been for Xion." He pointed to the black-haired girl lying against the tree.

Garet noted the girl, and looked around for Luxord. "What happened to the pompous guy with the cards?"

"He caught me off-guard and he managed to get away. I did wound him with a Ragnarok, though." Felix rubbed his forehead. "What are you even doing here? I thought you were with the refugees."

"I was, but I came up here to tell Mia you were dead, and then it kind of got off-track. Luckily you're not, so that's one awkward conversation I can cross off my list."

Garet sighed. "Speaking of Mia though, she got hit. I'm not a medic, so I can't tell if it's serious or not. You can heal though, so that falls on you." Garet glanced at Xion again. "And that other girl's not looking so well either. Think we should get them back to town?"

Felix didn't fail to notice Garet's defaulting to him for leadership, now that he was back. Everybody always seemed to expect him to make the decisions, which he hated. "Yeah. You carry Xion back. I'll go revive Mia. I need her to take a look at Xion."

Garet nodded, and raced over to the small girl by the tree, while Felix slowly approached his former lover.

He felt dizzy, and he was soaked and covered in monster blood. It seemed like it was becoming habit for him to tend to others when he was exhausted. After carrying Xion through several miles of soaked clothes, slushy snow, and frequent monsters which he had been forced to deal with using Psynergy, all he wanted was to lie down and take a nap.

Instead he was about to undergo the most awkward healing scene in history.

Garet reached his side, with the unconscious Xion in his arms. "I'll take her to Mia's house, okay? If you can revive Mia, you'll bring her there, right?"

Felix nodded.

"Alright." Garet nodded. "Hey, it's good to have you back, man. Jenna will be so happy when she hears that you're okay."

Felix simply nodded again, and turned his attention to Mia. Garet took off at a run, racing back to the gates of Imil. As Garet turned into a red blur in the distance, Felix glanced down at Mia's unconscious form. She looked exhausted. She had rings under her eyes, and her cheekbones seemed sunken. And while she had never really been one with a healthy skin tone, she even looked paler than usual.

Yet despite all this, she was still beautiful. Only Mia could pull that off.

Felix cracked his knuckles. He found himself wondering if he even had enough Psynergy left to revive her.

He never needed to, though. Mia's eyes shot open and she violently sat up, her face coming just a few inches from his. Felix, startled by the sudden awakening, scrambled away from her.

"F-Felix?" Mia muttered, rubbing her eyes like she's been asleep. "Am I dreaming?"

"Uh... no. I'm really here."

"Huh." She said.

Somewhat confused by her behavior, Felix helped her to her feet.

"I just got here." He explained. "Apparently you and Garet were fighting someone..."

"Oh, yeah..." Mia recalled, rubbing her eyes again. She seemed to think of something. "Wait, is everyone here?"

"No, as far as I know. It's just me and Garet."

"Oh." She rubbed her eyes yet again. She seemed strangely out of it, Felix realized. Was she really tired?

"Mia, are you okay?" He asked cautiously.

"Huh? Yeah. Just tired."

"Great, uh... Listen, there's this friend of mine. She was poisoned while we were traveling, and I kinda need you to check her out."

"She?" Mia asked. "Who is she? Is she your girlfriend?"

"No."

Mia didn't seem to believe that. "Fine. Where is she?"

"Garet took her to your house."

"'Kay..." Mia muttered. She started trudging back towards Imil.

Felix followed behind her, concerned about Xion, but not wanting to rush Mia. He wasn't sure what was wrong with her. Something was off. He had never seen her that way before.

She looked as tired as death. Felix half-expected her to collapse as she was walking. But it was more than that. She was holding something back. There had been something on her tongue as she had awakened, but she had been forcing herself quiet. Felix couldn't tell if she was glad or angry to see him. Maybe there was just too much going on for her to process. There certainly was for him...

The Organization, the appearance of the blonde man, the bizarre weather patterns, Garet being in Imil, the Valeans thinking he was dead. Not to mention Xion, whose very presence made things confusing. She was a Nobody, and shouldn't exist in the first place, yet she had emotions beyond her peers. The Wise One was involved somehow, wanting her to get energy from the Lighthouses or something.

And Alex. He'd be at the Lighthouse, using the Hermes' Water to heal his wounds if he hadn't already. Their reunion wasn't going to be very pleasant. If Xion did survive, he hoped she wouldn't be there to see it.

They reached the gates of the village. The streets were mostly clear, but a few people were watching them as they made their way to Mia's house. Nobody spoke to them. Felix looked around the town, wondering where Alex could be hiding. As he and Mia trudged along, Felix glanced at her. Did she know Alex was in Imil? Should he tell her?

Or should he just keep it to himself, and exact his revenge quietly? If he ever wanted to get along with Mia again, the last thing he needed to do was bring up the person who Mia hated more than anyone else. Mia had left before they could get to Alex, so she'd lost her chance at killing him. Felix had been the one who had gone through mountains and into chasms to find him, so he would keep the Mercury Adept all to himself.

They at last reached Mia's home. The front door was unlocked and cracked open, so they stepped inside. Xion lay upon Mia's bed, and Garet paced back and forth across the room. He looked up as they entered.

"About time! What, did you two crawl the whole way?"

"Sorry, Garet." Mia muttered. "I'm not really at the top of my game."

Garet shrugged it off. "We're all pretty beat, it looks like. Especially you, Felix. Did you fight an army on your way here?"

"Feels like it." Felix sighed as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. "Mia, can you take a look at her? I know you're tired, but I fear for her life."

"Sure." Mia went to Xion's side and placed her hands over the small girl's forehead. A soft, blue glow appeared around Mia's hands as she cleansed Xion with Psynergy.

"First Sheba, now this girl..." Garet chuckled. "You sure like them young, Felix. How old is this one?"

Felix glared at him, though he wasn't really angry. It was hard to be angry at someone like Garet. "There was nothing going on between me and Sheba. I jumped off that lighthouse because I promised to protect her. As for Xion, it's the same thing. I don't like little girls, Garet."

Garet rolled his eyes. "Suuure. You didn't answer my question, though. How old is she?"

Felix scratched his chin. "I think she said she's... one?"

Garet was agape. Mia even looked up him as she healed Xion.

"One...?" Garet laughed. "As in one year old? Leave it to women to bewilder you when you ask them their age. If I had to take a guess on her, I'd say... fifteen."

"Felix, there's something odd about this girl." Mia said. "I can't put my finger on why, but her body feels different from everyone else I've ever healed."

"Yeah, there's an explanation for that. It's really complicated, though. I'll fill you guys in later. Can you heal her poisoning with her being different?"

Mia took her hand away and looked up at Felix. "That's the thing, Felix. There is no poison. She's fine."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I checked her system and there's no poison in her. She's exhausted, and she has a few minor injuries, but otherwise, she's fine. She's not poisoned."

Felix was confused. "No, she has to be. She was bitten by a ghoul. She showed the symptoms, and I gave her an antidote. But the poison lingered. I figured it was because her system was different, like you pointed out, but she wasn't getting any better. That's why I rushed her to you."

"I don't know what to tell you, Felix. Maybe it just took a while for the antidote to kick in. I'd give her more treatment, but I can't heal something that isn't there."

Felix stepped over beside the bed and examined Xion. She was okay. Her breathing was strong and steady, and her cheeks had color in them again. Her skin was back to it's healthy yellow tone.

"I don't get it." Felix muttered. "She was frail as glass the whole way from the cave to Imil. Her breathing even stopped a few times, and I had to set her down and heal her. For her to just recover in an instant like that..."

Mia shrugged. "Like I said, maybe it just took a while for the antidote to take effect. I can't really give you any definite answers, as her biology is different from ours."

"And why is that, Felix?" Garet asked him, pulling a chair over. "Who is this mysterious girl you're picked up? What happened with the chasm? We're just dying to hear your tale. Tell us what you've been up to since you vanished."

Mia took off her cloak and placed it on the rack. "We've got time to kill until she wakes up. Might as well get comfortable." Mia tossed a log in the fireplace. "Garet?"

The Mars Adept snapped his fingers and the fireplace roared to life. Mia and Felix joined Garet at the table.

"Well..." Felix began. "It started the night I disappeared..."

 

Luxord collapsed against a tree, gasping for air. He'd been moving as fast as he could for the past hour, trying to find a secure location. He didn't know if the Adepts would pursue him or not, as they had two incapacitated members, but for once he didn't want to take any chances.

He had never been so wounded in his existence, not even his previous life as a Somebody. He had been pretty badly beaten during his battle with Garet and Mia, but the final attack from the brown-haired swordsman had sealed the deal. The massive sword of energy hadn't hit him directly, thankfully. If it had, he would have died. But it's edge still struck his leg, and the explosion after that had knocked him off his feet.

He had burns from both the attacks of Garet and the third man. Mia's mace hadn't hit him amazingly, but her ice magic had left a few nasty wounds.

After that, nearly an hour of limping through the woods in a blizzard had taken its toll on the gambler. He was beaten. All he wanted to do was lie down and rest.

But the sun would be setting soon. And when it did, Weyard's native monsters would come out and lock on his seeping blood. With no weapons and such crippling wounds, he would be an easy target. Luxord didn't know everything about this odd world, but he knew the monsters up north were especially dangerous. He'd seen a few ghouls and maulers during his month or so stay there. Those beasts could tear apart any Heartless with ease. It was amazing the people of this world even survived.

In any other circumstance, he would have simply summoned a dark corridor and RTC'd. He had been instructed not to return unless it was with Xion or he'd been contacted, but given his current situation, he would have had to recover and come back with backup. Unfortunately, his string of bad luck did not seem to be over. His magic was unresponsive, and summoning a corridor was impossible.

He had to find a secure location where he could get out of the cold and keep the monsters away for the night. If he did not, he was finished.

"I see you could use some help."

Luxord glanced around wildly. The wind was howling, but he could have sworn he'd just heard a voice.

"Over here."

He spun around to face the location the voice had come from. A man stood in a white cloak, almost invisible in the snowy surroundings. His hood was drawn, but a single eye peaked out from underneath.

"Who are you?" Luxord demanded. "How did you find me here?"

"Relax, I won't hurt you." The man purred. "In fact, I've come here to heal your wounds."

Luxord cautiously sized up the man. He didn't look as strong as his attitude would suggest. He was somewhat hunched over, he walked with an even stronger limp than Luxord currently had, and what bit of his face could be seen was almost completely covered in bandages.

"What do you want in return?" Luxord asked.

The man laughed. "Nothing at all, my good friend. At least, nothing you can offer me. But as a healer, it just pains me to see someone wounded go untended."

He took a few steps towards Luxord. The Nobody was cautious, but he had no way to defend himself.

"Just relax." The man in white said as he raised a bandaged hand.

Some sort of powerful healing magic surged through Luxord. He could feel his burns vanishing, his wounds closing, and strength and energy returning to his muscles. In seconds, only the tears in his coat would suggest that he had even been in a battle to begin with.

Luxord stepped back, examining his leg. The long slash through it was gone, the torn ligaments reconnected. He felt full of life and energy, totally refreshed like he'd just woken up in the morning. He didn't even feel cold anymore.

He looked back at the man who had healed him, this time in awe. A grin split the bandaged face beneath the hood. Luxord could see him better now. Only his left eye and mouth were exposed, the rest of his face was wrapped like come kind of mummy. His right eye was totally covered.

"I thank you." Luxord said, still unsure of the man's intentions. "But I would also like to know who you are and what you're after."

The man chuckled. "There are a lot of people who feel that way. Sadly, I'm afraid I can't tell you. I'm a very busy man, and I have another place I must be. So, I must bid you adieu."

And without another word, the man vanished before Luxord's eyes in a flash of blue light. He glanced around, but the figure was nowhere to be found.

The blizzard began to die down, and the sun was setting. Luxord still did not have his cards, but at least he was strong enough now to have a fighting chance. He looked up. The beacon of Mercury Lighthouse shone high in the sky, yet surprisingly close. Without even realizing it, his fleeing through the woods had brought him around the town and he'd ended up at the foot of the lighthouse.

Luxord started towards the blue light. There were still monsters in the lighthouse, but at least there he could find an empty room and secure his location and rest. And the lighthouse was also where he'd placed the cube. He could retrieve his spare deck from the temporary camp he'd set up there when he'd first arrived.

He didn't know who that white-cloaked man had been, but thanks to him, he now had another chance. He could get back what was his and complete his mission. He would have to plan his next attack more carefully. He had been too confident, something he hadn't realized Nobodies could suffer from. His next attempt would be an ambush. He didn't need to bother with all four of them, only two. He just needed Xion and the key. The plan was simple. Kill the boy and take back his key, and then grab Xion and leave.

This time, he'd be more careful. This time, he would not fail.

 

Felix, Mia, and Garet spoke for about an hour. He told them about the night with the chasm, Xion trying to save him, his battle with Axel, the mysterious dream Xion had, and the Organization they were both from. He told them about her being a Nobody, and her quest to retrieve elemental essence from the lighthouses so she could exist without any of her friends losing their lives. And he told them about his distrust about the Wise One.

"I don't know what he's up to, but I intend to stay with this girl and find out. I don't care what Kraden says, that thing has to be evil after what it did."

Garet nodded. "You really have been busy."

Mia stroked her chin, thinking.

"I'm certain that Axel ratted us out to the Organization. He told them Xion was going to the lighthouses, so they sent sentries to guard each one. That's why that Luxord guy was here already. What I don't understand is why he attacked you guys."

Garet reached in his pocket and pulled out a small, gray cube. "I met Luxord in the inn yesterday. We played cards, and some weird stuff happened, but it led to me chasing him through the streets that night. While we were running he dropped his."

Felix picked up the stone and examined it. It was heavier than it looked. The surface was smooth, and it was surprisingly cold to the touch. A strange white emblem was engraved on one side of the otherwise unmarked cube.

"That must be why he attacked you, Garet." Felix figured. "Whatever this thing is, it's important, and he wants it back." He set it back down on the table.

"What I don't understand..." Mia muttered. "Is why they want this Xion girl back so badly. What's so important about her?"

Felix glanced over at Xion, who was sleeping quietly. "I'm not sure. They're after something, and they need her to get it. Axel mentioned something before he left, but I can't remember what it was."

"You should have asked her." Garet said. "How long have you been traveling with this girl, a month? It takes a month to get from Loho to Imil, so it must be."

Felix shook his head. "There are things she won't tell me. What the Organization is after is one of them. Another is who Riku and Namine are, as she's mentioned them a few times. She tries to be cryptic, but every now and then she'll let something slip that she thinks I don't notice. Like a 'keyblade'. She said that word a few times, but she avoids any explanation like the plague."

"So what are you going to do, then?" Garet asked. "Are you going to go with her to all four lighthouses? You're a good Samaritan Felix, but that's a bit much. You already made that journey once, remember?"

Felix hadn't told them about Alex. If he had brought up Alex, he would have given away that he had actually traveled to Imil to hunt him down, rather than to help Xion. And he didn't know how Mia would react to finding out that Alex had been in Imil the whole time. She seemed stressed enough already.

"I don't know yet." He said. "Right now I'm interested in what the Wise One wants with her. He wouldn't be offering to help the girl if there wasn't something in it for him. And if I don't like his motives, I intend to stop him."

They were quiet for a while. Finally, Garet broke the silence.

"What about Jenna's wedding?" He asked Felix. "You won't miss your sister's wedding for this, would you?"

Felix shook his head. "Of course not. After we're done here, we'll head south to Venus Lighthouse. We'll pass through Kalay in time for the wedding."

Mia was silent. Felix sneaked a quick glance at her. He knew it was on her mind as much as it was on his. The fact that she had left him back as the chasm. All three of them were aware of it, but nobody said anything. It was an elephant in the room, but they didn't bring it up. It would have been too awkward.

Garet looked over at Mia. "Hey Mia, you look pretty tired. What's been going on lately?"

Mia sighed. "I'm just worn out from the battle. I haven't been sleeping well lately, and with the fountain running dry, everyone has the seasonal fever-"

"The fountain's dried up?" Felix exclaimed. They both turned to him in surprise at his reaction.

"Yeah." Mia said. "I don't know why, but there's no Hermes' Water anymore. It just stopped about a month ago."

Felix looked down at his feet. That changed things. How could Alex recover from his wounds if the water was gone? How would he react to that?

Garet yawned and stretched. "It's dark out, and we're all pretty tired. What do you say we retire for the night?"

Mia nodded. "I agree. Unless there's anything else Felix needs to discuss?"

She looked him right in the eye for the first time that day as she said that. There was something strange in her look, like she was expecting him to do something. It was almost... pleading.

"No." He said. "Nothing."

"Alright." Mia said, rising. Her reaction gave no indication if she was displeased or not. "Since Xion is in my bed, I'll take the guest room. Garet, do you have a room at the inn?"

He nodded. "Yeah, me and Felix can crash there. We'll meet up tomorrow morning, right?"

Mia nodded. "Sweet dreams." She stepped into the other room and closed the door.

Felix and Garet made their way to the front door. On the way out, Garet put out the fire and Felix gave one last look at Xion before they left. As they stepped outside, Felix locked the door.

They made their way to the inn through the blue-hued streets of Imil. As they walked, Garet laughed.

"Man, a lot happened today." He said. "I can't believe all this. You have some amazing talent at avoiding death, you know that?"

Felix nodded. "Well, my name does mean 'lucky'."

Garet laughed again. "It sure does. Wait until Jenna hears you're alive. I'll write her a letter first thing tomorrow morning! She'll be ecstatic."

Felix looked down at the ground. He'd lied about a few things that night. One had been his intention to go to Jenna's wedding. The whole reason he'd wanted to throw himself in the chasm in the first place was because, deep down, he was jealous of his sister. She had someone who loved her dearly. Someone who would give his life for her. And despite how much Felix had given up for his quest, he had no one. Not even his parents seemed to care greatly when he had been banished.

Mia had left him, and that had hurt worse than anything he had ever felt. She had only said a single thing the day she'd left, and it had crushed him...

 

As he woke, he saw that her bags were already packed. He turned to her in confusion.

"What happened? Why are you leaving, Mia?"

She refused to face him. Her back was turned and her arms were crossed.

What she said after that hurt him worse than any blade he had ever felt upon his flesh.

"I never loved you, Felix. I only pitied you."

She grabbed her things and left without another word.

 

How she had even been able to face him today bewildered him. How many hours had he spent after that, drowning himself in alcohol, cursing her name and begging her to come back with the same breath?

Felix had nothing, and he knew it. Once Alex was dead, he intended to throw himself into another chasm. And this time, he would make sure that there was no one, not Xion or anyone else, there to stop him. And with the Hermes' Water gone, Alex wouldn't be going anywhere. All he had to do was find him.

Felix couldn't ask Garet not to send the letter, but he knew it would only make things worse. Jenna would find out her brother had survived, only to die again the same way she thought he had gone. And worst of all, as he had survived three times when everyone had thought him dead, she wouldn't believe it when he really was. For the rest of her life she would hold out hope, believing that her brother was still alive somewhere out in the world.

When Felix had set out for Imil, his intention had only been to get Xion as far as she needed, then slip off and find Alex. Being discovered by Garet and Mia hadn't been part of his plan. And now that Jenna would find out, it would only torture her more.

And yet, how could he live? Everything he held dear had been ripped away from him by the very people whose lives he has saved. Every day was a struggle for him. He hid it well, but it was all he could do just to live. The only thing he looked forward to was Alex's death. He had nothing else. He couldn't survive for Jenna's sake. He was too selfish.

So when they reached the inn, Felix paid for his room, pretending he was alive. He said goodnight to his childhood friend, pretending he was alive. And he made his way up to his room and went to bed, pretending he was alive.

But he wasn't alive. He had died to moment Mia had said those words to him.


	9. Closer

Jenna should have been enjoying herself. She supposed she was, in a sense. But she just couldn't quite get in the spirit of things.

She was with Isaac and Ivan at a private table, off to the side of the inn in Kalay. There was a five-piece band playing upbeat jazz music, which she normally would have loved. All around her were the various peoples of Vale and Kalay, celebrating their arrival.

Isaac and Ivan were laughing, catching up with one another, occasionally involving Jenna in their conversations. She was tired, mostly from the journey, but also a bit from the child she carried.

"So anyway, I was in my room, and the maid walked in." Ivan said, holding back a laugh. "And there I was, in the middle of... you know..."

"No!" Isaac laughed. "What did she do?"

"Well, she was shocked, of course." Ivan continued. "But man, it was awkward. She asks if I was busy, and I said, 'No, not at all... C'mon in'."

"You invited her in!" Isaac said. "Don't tell me this is going where I think it is..."

"Oh, just wait." Ivan laughed. "Anyway, I invite her to join me, and she sits down on the bed."

"No..." Isaac said. "Ivan, you lucky little..."

"And then she points out how small it is..."

"Huh...?"

"And then I say: Well of course it is! That's why they're called bugs. You see, she was a bit surprised, because insect-collecting isn't exactly a common hobby in Kalay."

Isaac burst out laughing. "Oh, you...! I thought you were..."

"Well yeah, that's the point. It's called innuendo. And it's funny."

"Bug-collecting? Where did you pick that up?"

"I saw someone doing it back in Izumo, and it looked interesting. I was bored after the quest, so I decided to give it a shot, to pass the time."

"Weird hobbies for a weird kid." Isaac laughed. He took a swing of his drink. "Oh crap, I need a refill."

"Yeah, me too." Ivan said. "Hold on, I'll be right back."

"I got it." Jenna offered, scooping up the empty drinks.

"Are you sure, Jenna?" Ivan asked. "I mean, you're pregnant and all..."

"I can still walk a few yards and get some drinks!" Jenna laughed. "Really, you two stay here and have fun. I'll get your drinks."

Jenna rose and made her way to the bar. She placed the two glasses on the counter and had the barkeeper refill them. She didn't order anything for herself, as she was pregnant.

As the barkeeper refilled the drinks, she turned around to check out the band, and her heart skipped a beat.

The hooded old woman from the bridge was approaching her from the crowd. She was moving steadily towards Jenna, and had clearly seen her, so there was no point in trying to get away. It took Jenna a moment to notice that she wasn't using a cane.

The old woman stepped in front of Jenna, and smiled. "We've met before, haven't we?"

"What do you want from me?" Jenna demanded.

"I just want what's best for you, my dear. What's best for us."

"Us? There is no us. You're just some old woman I met who said some things I didn't care for."

The old woman pouted. "Now, dear. You shouldn't treat your friends like that. I'm only here to help you."

Jenna stared at her for a moment. Something was different about her. Her face seemed less wrinkled, her back straighter. It was almost like...

Almost like she was younger.

"Where's your walking stick?" Jenna asked.

"Pardon, dear?" The crone asked.

"When I met you at that tree, you needed me to help you get up. Now here you are, standing on your two feet like a dancer. You've deceiving me."

"Oh, that's not it at all, my child." She replied, with a wave of her hand. "I've just felt so much better since I've moved to Kalay. It's strange, that a city like Kalay would rejuvenate me when Vale's cool mountain air failed."

"You're not from Vale." Jenna said. "I've never seen you before. I would have recognized you if you were from Vale. You just slipped in with the refugees, didn't you?"

"Oh, dearie please." The old woman said indignantly. "I was born and raised in Vale. It broke my heart to leave, but it was just lost. Gone forever, sunk into the earth. It was time to find a new home, with you and your fiance were able to do."

"Don't lie to me. I've never seen you before in my life."

"I would never lie to you, my child. You are my sun and my moon."

Jenna froze. That was something her mother used to say to her.

The old woman reached in her pocket and pulled out a watch. "Take this, my dear. It's very dear to me, but I'd like you to have it. Turn back the hands of time, and you will remember me." She placed the watch in Jenna's hands.

Jenna looked down at the silver pocket watch in her hands. There was a name printed on it.

Jasmine.

Jenna looked up at the old woman, but she was already walking away. As she stepped away, she looked back and smiled at Jenna.

"It's been a pleasure talking to you."

She continued on her way. As she walked, her hood fell down, revealing gray hair. Gray hair with a few strands of red.

Jenna stood there, very confused. That old woman... was her name Jasmine? Who was she? She said she was from Vale, and she seemed to know exactly who Jenna was, as well as what she felt.

"Uh... Ma'am? Your drinks...?"

"Huh?" Jenna turned around. The barkeeper was standing there, holding out the refilled glasses. "Oh, thank you." She took the drinks and made her way through the crowd to where Isaac and Ivan were seated.

"There you are!" Isaac said as he saw her. "I was getting a bit worried. I was about to come find you."

How long had she been talking with Jasmine? It hadn't felt like that long...

Jenna took her seat, next to her fiance. She joined in their discussions, trying to forget about the strange old woman she kept encountering. The jazz band was taking requests now, and Isaac had them play Vale's anthem. She did her best to enjoy herself listening to the music and talking with Ivan, and she did enjoy it.

But she still found herself glancing out every now and then at the crowd, trying to spot the old woman.

But she didn't.

 

Xion woke at last, having felt like she'd just slept a year. She was warm and comfortable, and had the freshness to her that one has when just awakening after a night of sleep. She smiled, her eyes still closed, and snuggled closer to her pillow.

Her memories of recent events were hazy, but a few came back to her slowly. She could remember traveling with Felix for nearly a month, on their way north to Imil. In fact, as she thought about it, she could remember all the way up to their trip through the underground tunnel. After that, she couldn't recall a thing. Her most recent recollection had been her and Felix entering the tunnel.

Despite how comfortable she was, she decided it was time to figure out her situation. Xion was no stranger to long periods of unconsciousness, nor was she unfamiliar to memory loss, so she understood the necessity of situational awareness. She sat up, opened her eyes, and took in her surroundings. She was in a bedroom, with an open door that led to a living room. She could hear a fireplace crackling in the other room. The room she found herself in was sparsely furnished, but she did spot a travel bag in the corner. She instantly recognized it as Felix's.

Xion then turned and noticed a window on the wall above her bed. She sat up, peeking outside. At first all she saw was a glaring whiteness, but she quickly made out the shapes of tree in distant forests. And beyond those, she took note of a soft, blue glow in the sky. She wanted to know what the blue light was, but the sunlight reflected off of the omnipresent snow outside, creating a stinging glare.

They must have made it to Imil, Xion figured. She slid out of the bed, finding herself still wearing her dark travel clothes, minus her black cloak. It made sense that Felix wouldn't want to undress her, but it still seemed odd.

Despite the blizzard outside, the air around her felt warm and inviting. This illusion was quickly shattered as her bare feet hit the floor. She sucked her breath in as she felt the cold wood at her feet. She took another step, this one just as bad as the first. She just couldn't stand being cold. Xion quickly spotted her socks and raced to them, pulling them over her suffering feet.

Xion sighed, her toes now fuzzy warm. She was surprisingly warm now, as she had been fully dressed the whole time, sans her feet and cloak. Which prompted the odd thought, who had taken her boots and socks off?

Her boots weren't in the room, so she made her way out in her socks. The air was toasty warm despite the cold outside. She quickly realized this was due to the fireplace in the center of the room she entered. She quickly scanned the area, her Organization skills of recon serving her well. She noticed a sink full of used dishes, which told her that either the owner of the building was lazy, or had recently had guests. She deduced it was the latter, as everything else in the room was well-kept and organized. She spotted a small weapon rack in the corner, which surprised her, as it didn't exactly fit with the rest of the furniture. Mounted on it were several staves and maces.

Xion then spotted two pictures mounted on the wall and scurried over to get a closer look. The first was a picnic shot, of nine people that she quickly counted. The only one of the bunch she recognized was Felix, who was uncharacteristically grinning like a fool. The others were all smiling of laughing, and with the exception of a chuckling old man, appeared to be in roughly the same age group. Xion noticed that Felix had his arms wrapped around a cute girl with long, blue hair who was also grinning despite her blush.

Remembering Felix's stories by the campfire, she realized these were his friends whom he had traveled with on his journey. She started matching descriptions to faces. The girl Felix was holding must have been his former lover, Mia. A second girl had to be his sister Jenna, as she had the flaming red hair he'd so described.

Xion got a better look at Jenna. She was laughing in the still photograph, clinging to the arm of a tall, sandy haired boy. The boy had to be her future husband, Isaac. They were the two the Wise One had told her about. He'd said that someone would go after Isaac, believing he had the Mars Essence, but would then realize it had been passed onto his unborn child. This person would then try to kill Jenna to take the Essence from her baby. And it was Xion's part of the bargain to stop that from happening. As Xion stared intently at the picture, she wondered if the child had already been conceived when it had been taken...

Deciding there was nothing more to learn from the first picture, she moved on to the second. This one was different, having been taken inside a stone chamber. There were three people in this one. Xion recognized the blue haired girl Felix had been holding from the first picture, though she looked a few years younger. The other two were small, blonde children she had never seen before. She looked over the background details for anything that might tell her where it had been taken.

Xion noticed something with a start. There was a hand on Mia's shoulder belonging to someone beyond the edges of the photograph. The edge was, in fact, torn, probably to hide whoever was standing next to Mia. But who was it...?

"You're awake." A soft voice behind Xion said, causing her to jump. Xion spun around, suddenly realizing how close her face had been to the picture. She mentally slapped herself in the head for not paying more attention.

The girl who had spoken stepped out of the doorway of another bedroom. Xion instantly recognized the beautiful blue-haired girl from the picture, though she also realized something was different about her. Her eyes had a certain heaviness to them, like she was tired or sad.

Mia approached her, offering her hand. "I'm Mia."

Xion took it. "Yeah, I know. Felix told me all about you."

Mia's eyes flickered for a moment. "Yes, I'm sure he has."

Xion, despite her lack of a heart and understanding of it's ways, saw right away that the girl in front of her was tormented by something. The subtle change only lasted a second, but Xion's sharp eyes didn't fail to notice it.

"Your name is Xion, correct?" Mia asked, quickly returning to pleasantries.

She nodded.

"Come, join me for breakfast. You can tell me how you met Felix."

Xion chuckled to herself as Mia went to her kitchen. Perhaps it was not the best time for that story.

In a short while, Xion found herself seated opposite of Mia enjoying some well-cooked bacon. While Mia's cooking was certainly good, she laughed when Xion complimented her, telling stories about burning the meals at first until Ivan had taught her how to properly use a skillet.

Mia went on to share a variety of stories of her travels with Isaac, Garet, and Ivan. Xion hadn't heard much of this part of the Adepts' journey, as Felix hadn't been around, so she listened intently. Mia told her about all sorts of interesting tales involving talking trees, living statues, and a large squid monster called a Kraken.

"Apparently Garet didn't understand the difference between the Kraken and Kraden." Mia said. "So he'd have nightmares about the sage attacking him with tentacles. He was joking, of course, but it was still a terrifying thought."

"Garet..." Mia muttered. "He was the goofball, right?"

Mia nodded. "Here, I'll show you."

Having finished their meal a few minutes earlier, Mia and Xion rose and went to the photograph that Xion had been examining earlier. Mia pointed to a tall, red haired guy in the back of the group, grinning even more than everyone else if that was possible.

"That's Garet, of course. He was always full of energy, and he could eat pretty much anything." They both laughed. Mia then pointed to a small, blonde boy at the side of the group, laughing with a blonde girl. "That's Ivan. He was the smart one." She then pointed to the tall blonde man with Jenna. "And that's Isaac. The hero, as every calls him now."

While looking at the picture, Xion couldn't take her eyes off the image of Felix and Mia. They both looked so much happier then they did now.

"Then did you first meet Felix?" She asked.

"I first saw him back before I even set out on the quest." Mia told her. "A group of four warriors arrived at the town for some reason I never found out. With them was a scared-looking young man. I didn't think much of him when I first saw him. I saw him a second time atop Mercury Lighthouse, when the Proxians and Isaac's group first arrived. I only got the chance to speak to him late in the quest, when our parties united in Contigo."

Mia avoided her gaze as she told her this. Realizing that she was uncomfortable talking about Felix, Xion decided to change the subject.

"Who are the other three?" Xion asked, pointing to the small blonde girl, the muscular blue-haired man, and the elder.

"The girl's Sheba." Mia told her. "We met her at Venus Lighthouse, and we were supposed to take her back to Lalivero, but we failed. The sailor is Piers. He was very friendly and insightful, and apparently he's centuries old. And the old man is Kraden, the sage. He never stopped talking, but he was nice and very smart. They were all in Felix's group, so I didn't get to know them until after we all joined up."

"Piers, Sheba, and Kraden..." Xion said, rolling the names over her tongue. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Felix had mentioned them all."

So the picture had Felix, Mia, Jenna, Isaac, Ivan, Garet, Sheba, Piers, and Kraden in it. Xion felt like someone was missing...

"Oh, yeah!" She said out loud. "What about Alex?"

Mia gave a start. "W-what...?"

"You know... Alex." Xion said. "The Alex you guys traveled with. Where was he at when you guys took this picture?"

"How do you know about Alex...?" Mia asked cautiously.

"Felix told me about him. Oh, I get it! He was the one taking the picture, wasn't he?"

Mia shook her head. "He wasn't... Wait, what exactly did Felix tell you about Alex?"

Xion bit her lip, thinking. "Um... he told me he was his friend. That Felix had been trying to get in the chasm so he could find him. And that he was wounded, so he was trying to find him, I guess so he could help him."

Mia took a step back. "Felix said he was his... friend?"

"Yeah, Felix has been trying to find him for a while. What exactly happened to him?"

"He uh... He disappeared when Mt. Aleph sank into the earth..."

Mia was acting strangely, Xion noticed. She had her eyes down on the floor, lost in thought. "Oh well, I guess I'll just get to see what he looks like when Felix introduces me to him. I'm interested to meet someone Felix has been going to such lengths to help out. Where's he staying at?"

Mia looked up at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"What part of town is he staying at? Felix seemed pretty eager to get to Imil so he could reunite with him. Is he at the inn, or is he staying with friends?"

Mia was speechless for a moment. "He's... here...?"

Now, Xion was surprised. "Oh no... You didn't know he was in town! Felix probably had some kind of surprise planned and I just ruined it... I'm sorry."

Mia shook her head. "No, don't worry about it. I just didn't realize..."

Xion mentally slapped herself on the head again. She needed to learn more about how Somebodies interacted.

Mia still seemed to be having trouble processing her thoughts. "Alex is... He's here in Imil...?"

Xion nodded. "Yes. I'm really sorry I spoiled the surprise. I just thought you already knew."

Mia walked over near the fireplace and collapsed into one of the chairs. Something odd was going on, Xion realized. Why was Mia so surprised to hear that Alex was in Imil? Did they not get along with each other?

Xion joined her by the fireplace. "How well did you get along with Alex during your travels? Whose party was he with?"

Mia thought about it for a moment. "We uh... We didn't talk much. He was with Felix's group for a while."

There must be bad blood between Mia and Alex, Xion realized. That's probably why Felix hadn't told her Alex was there. He probably wanted to avoid a confrontation.

"Uh, do you mind if I head outside and get some fresh air?" Xion asked. She decided it would probably be best to give Mia some time alone.

"No, go right ahead." Mia said. "If you find Felix, tell him we'll meet up here, okay?"

"I will." Xion said. She grabbed her cloak and stepped through the door.

Mia watched the small girl as she stepped outside. She was so innocent, the healer thought. And naive. What was Felix up to with her? Certainly he wasn't interested in her romantically? No, it couldn't be that. She was too young, and he'd denied it the night before when Garet brought it up.

Felix was certainly keeping his secrets. He has always been quiet, but never deceptive. What had he been telling this girl about Alex? During the time Mia had spent with him, he'd obsessed over finding Alex, to the point where it had nearly scared her.

Mia had no doubt that was why Felix had come to Imil. It certainly hadn't been to visit her. Every moment he'd spent with her so far had been tense and awkward. No, Felix was definitely there to find and kill Alex.

But another question presented itself with that: why would Alex return in the first place? When he'd left, he'd sworn he would never come back. And though he had returned to light Mercury Lighthouse, he hadn't exactly expected a welcoming party. He'd simply slipped in and left, as quickly as he had been able to.

Alex didn't hate her, but he couldn't stand to be around her either. Rather similar to how Felix now felt about her. Apparently she had that effect on men. It was odd actually, how similar Felix and Alex really were.

Maybe that was why Felix hated him so much.

 

Felix didn't sleep that night.

It's not that he wasn't tired, he had been exhausted. But he couldn't rest knowing that he was out there somewhere. He had on-and-off bouts of insomnia, usually occurring on nights when he had a lot on his mind. And between Alex's presence in the town, Xion's poisoning, his conversations with Mia, Garet writing to Jenna, and the Organization member they'd fought, he certainly had a lot to think about.

And that's what he was doing. He lay across the cheap, lumpy inn bed, not even having bothered to change. Even as sunlight slowly crept through the curtains across the room, and he heard feet shuffling in the hallway on the other side. He just lay there, thinking.

He was chastising himself. He'd made a foolish mistake earlier. It had been his fault Xion had been poisoned, and that had been mistake enough, but he'd really screwed up when he'd risked getting himself killed to get her to Imil. He was a caring person, he would admit that. He'd put the quest on the back-burner countless times to help out strangers they'd encountered.

And it made him weak. Had he been more focused on his quest before, the stakes wouldn't have been so high at Mars Lighthouse. Instead of fetching mushrooms, saving penguins, and finding bread for little boys, he should have spent more time focusing on getting to Jupiter Lighthouse. Granted, everything had turned out in the end, but he'd taken far too many risks.

He had scooped Xion up in his arms and raced through the snow, charging blindly towards Imil. He had been caught up in his emotions. He'd been vulnerable.

This girl was getting to his head. He had to leave her. Finding Alex was more important than her and this Organization. If he kept taking these risks for her, he was going to get killed.

Garet's insensitive teasing echoed in his ears. She was too young. She was at least four years too young for him, at least in body. If he was going off of her true birth, she was technically almost eighteen years younger than him. Besides, a girlfriend was the last thing he needed right now.

Xion was cute, but she was also a pain. If he stuck around with her, he'd have to continue to deal with people from that Organization. First Axel, then the blonde man from earlier. They would just keep coming.

And it was obvious how they'd found them. Axel had told them about Xion, and her plan to collect essence from the lighthouses. How else could he explain a member of the group showing up in Imil?

He had told Xion not to trust that man. And as usual, he had been right.

A knock at his door stirred him from his thoughts. "Felix! It's me, Garet! C'mon man, get up! They've got bacon!"

Felix sighed. It seemed like Garet was the only one who hadn't changed. He'd probably still he then same in thirty years, reckless and always hungry.

In a few minutes Felix found himself downstairs, waiting with Garet in the breakfast line. Once they had their food, they found sits and started eating. Never one to waste time, Garet started writing his letter to Isaac and Jenna as he stuffed his face.

Felix was about halfway through his eggs when the front door burst open and he was nearly thrown off his chair by Xion's vicious hug-tackle.

"Yay! I finally found you!"

After the initial shock of her arrival wore off, Xion took a seat and Felix formally introduced her to Garet. Xion cheerfully shook his hand.

"I've heard all kinds of things about you." Xion said. "I wasn't expecting to meet you so soon, though. Felix, is everyone from your journey here?"

"No, just me, Garet, and Mia. I wasn't even expecting to find Garet here."

"They're serving bacon and eggs over there." Garet informed Xion.

Xion laughed. "No thanks, I'm stuffed. I already ate with Mia."

Garet shrugged and returned to his meal.

"So this is Imil, huh?" Xion asked.

"It most certainly is." Felix replied. "This is where Mia grew up."

"Speaking of Mia, I had an interesting conversation with her. We were talking, and everything was going fine, but she reacted funny when I mentioned Alex."

Felix's heart skipped a beat. Garet looked up at them from his letter.

"Is there some kind of history between them, Felix?" Xion asked, oblivious to the changed atmosphere.

"Well..." Felix searched. "You could say that. They're cousins."

"Oh! I didn't know that. That's odd, though. She didn't have any pictures of him up on her wall."

Garet was still watching Felix. Did he suspect anything? If Felix could get through the conversation without her giving away that Alex was in Imil...

"Yeah, they had a falling-out back before the quest began." He replied.

"Huh. Family matters, I guess. So what are we doing today?"

"Well, we need to meet up with Mia after we eat. Now that you're awake, we can figure out how to go about getting to the aerie of Mercury Lighthouse."

"Why do we need to talk to Mia?" Xion asked. "The Wise One said you've been to all the Lighthouses."

"I have, but Mia has been living here her whole life. She knows that tower better than anyone alive."

Garet had returned to his breakfast. Felix wondered if he was suspicious. Garet may look dull, but Felix knew he wasn't stupid. There were so many unspoken questions between them.

"I'll help you guys at Mercury Lighthouse." Garet said. "But what are we going to do about Luxord?"

"Luxord?" Xion exclaimed. "He's here?"

Garet nodded. "You know him?"

"They're from the same Organization." Felix explained. "I think he's here to take her back."

"But that doesn't make sense..." Xion said. "How would he know to look for me here?"

"You and I both know the answer to that." Felix replied. "Axel. The one you trusted. I told you he would tell them where we were going."

"No, Axel wouldn't do that. He wouldn't tell them, not like that."

"You put too much trust in him."

"Because he's my friend!"

Felix sighed. "Friendship doesn't mean as much as you think it does."

Xion blinked. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter how they found out right now. What matters is what we're going to do about this."

Garet, having finished his breakfast, stood up. "We should head to Mia's. She's probably waiting for us right now."

Felix rose and Xion followed him. They both headed outside to the freezing streets of Imil.

So Luxord was after her now, she thought. Xemnas was aware that she was traveling to the Lighthouses, at least.

Did he also know about the Essences? If Axel had told him, then he did. She couldn't believe her friend would betray her like that, but how else could Xemnas have found out?

How much time did she have?

 

Luxord ascended the steps of Mercury Lighthouse. He'd set up a temporary base of operations in a hidden chamber behind a waterfall. It was there he'd stashed his spare deck and a change of clothes. He always made sure he had resources ready during long-term missions. One never knew when life would deal them a rough hand.

Luxord stepped through the waterfall and into the small, square chamber. He immediately spotted his items right where he'd left them. He grabbed the undamaged coat and pulled it on, tossing aside the damaged one. He placed the fresh deck in his pocket, where his old one had been. He also picked up a few potions and ethers.

He was fortunate to have had the foresight to bring the extra supplies. Saix had warned him he might need them, but he'd nearly forgotten to grab them before he left. Had be been so foolish, things could have turned out much differently after those Adepts had attacked.

But it wasn't the extra items that had saved him. It had been the strange man covered in bandages. Had that man not come along and restored him with that healing magic, he would have become the meal of some Weyardian monster.

A random act of generosity, perhaps? A lucky draw on his part? Had Luxord been a more foolish man, he would have written it off as such. But he knew better. That man had wanted him to live, for some reason.

He needed to find out who that man was, as well as what why he had wanted Luxord to survive. Once he completed his mission, he would have to look into it. For now, he needed to focus on defeating those Adepts, and bringing Xion back to Xemnas. That was his job, and that was what he had been sent there to do.

You cannot fail in your duty, Luxord. You must beat the Adepts and take Xion back to the castle. This is the hand fate has dealt you.

He would not fail this time. He had been too confident the first time. He had underestimated the strength of those two Adepts, and it had nearly cost him his life. Now he had to deal with three of them, as well as Xion who he doubted would go along quietly. He would have to set a trap.

If he rolled his dice well, he could eliminate one or two of them with his trap. Then he would have to battle whoever was left. He would have the element of surprise, but it would be a risky. He would have to plan this ahead, and figure out how his surroundings would factor into the battle.

He was in Mercury Lighthouse. If the information Saix had given him was correct, then the energies of this tower would have an effect on the Adepts' magic. It would strengthen the healer Mia, and weaken the warrior Garet. Taking Mia's healing abilities into account, that meant he would have to aim the trap at her.

As far as the other two, there was Xion, and her new friend, the dark-haired man. And judging by the attack that had struck his leg, the dark-haired man was not to be reckoned with. Xion was also weakened, as she could not use her keyblade. That meant that between the four of them, Mia and the dark-haired man would be the strongest when they fought here at the lighthouse. If it was possible, he could take those two out, and battle Garet and Xion.

But Luxord still had to prepare for the situation where things did not work out as he anticipated. If he was forced into a battle he could not win, he would have to flee.

And Garet had the key, as well. That had slipped his mind. If Garet were to use it on the device...

It would only be a minor inconvenience. As long as Xion wasn't around when it happened, it might actually work to his favor. It would at least take care of the Adepts for him.

 

Mia was conflicted. She was torn by indecision and doubt. She wanted to tell the Xion girl what Felix had been keeping from her. But she didn't know how things would turn out if she did.

She was sure Felix had his reasons for keeping things from her, but were those reasons noble? Or was he just playing some sort of sick game with the poor girl. She obviously thought very highly of him. What exactly was he up to?

What would he do when he found Alex? Mia had no doubt Felix planned to kill the man, but what would he tell Xion when she watched him slaughter someone she'd thought his friend? How would she react.

The time Mia had spent with Felix at the edge of that chasm had been consumed with one thing: their twisted quest to find and kill Alex. Mia had been drawn into Felix's desire for revenge, so much so that she'd nearly lost herself.

She had to leave him to escape it. It broke her heart to run away when Felix had needed her so badly, but something very wrong had been happening. Mia was a healer. It was her role in life to help others, not to hunt down those who had wronged her and kill them like animals. She wasn't about to forgive Alex for what he'd done, but she didn't want to kill him, either.

Felix didn't blame Alex either, at first. But then things had changed. He'd grown introspective, drawn into his own misery. His people had turned against him, after he'd given up his childhood to save them. They blamed Felix, while they glorified Isaac, who had nearly caused the world to be destroyed. His very family had chosen the people of Vale over him.

It had been too much for Felix. He had tortured himself in his pain. He'd been desperate for someone to blame. He latched onto Alex, a man who had, in actuality, been responsible for little of what had happened to him. He made a scapegoat of Alex, and obsessed over killing him.

It had scared her. She'd sat and watched Felix morph into a man she barely recognized. And she had realized just how unhealthy her relationship with him had been.

They hadn't loved each other, but they each had needed something to latch onto. Mia had been forced to bury a lot of pain during her trip with Isaac and the others. It had nearly killed her to leave Imil after Alex had lit Mercury Lighthouse, but fate had never been a merciful master. She has buried her pain, forcing herself to what she had needed to save the world.

Then she had met Felix on the Lemurian Ship, and it had all come out. They had been each others confidants, confessing the things they'd been forced to keep buried in their hearts.

It had helped at first. But once they returned to Vale, it just went downhill from there. Mia had watched Felix turn into an ugly person, obsessing over his desire for revenge. And she'd watched herself nearly be drawn into it herself, her own anger and pain threatening to be consumed by the easy path, the path of hate.

So she left. It was all she could do. She lied to Felix, told him that she pitied him, hoping that he would hate her instead.

But now Alex was here in Imil, and Felix had come to kill him. It would appear she had failed.

If she told Xion what she knew about Felix, it could lead to a confrontation. How would Garet react? What would they do if Felix got violent?

Mia needed to know just how far Felix's obsession went. She needed to know what was going through his head. If there was one thing Felix was good at, it was hiding what he was truly feeling. She couldn't do anything until she saw through his facade.

Though Mia knew Felix was truly there to find Alex, she knew they were also about to scale Mercury Lighthouse to obtain Xion's Essence from the aerie. She would go with them, and keep an eye on Felix. Maybe she could help him, in some way. If Alex appeared, maybe she could stop Felix from doing something he would regret.

Felix, Garet, and Xion stepped through the door to find Mia at her couch, deep in thought. She rose as she saw them enter.

Felix immediately noticed the glance she gave him. She knew.

"We're going to Mercury Lighthouse to get Xion's element thingy." Garet said. "You coming?"

Mia nodded. "I was going to go there anyway. I have to find out why the Hermes' Water has stopped flowing. The kids and I can't keep up the healing any longer."

Garet nodded. "And if we find that Luxord creep along the way, we can beat some answers out of him. Everybody wins."

Felix went to the back of the house and retrieved his sword. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Mia glanced at him again. He did not doubt she had a few things on her mind.

"Why waste any more time?" Garet asked. "Let's go now!"

"Thanks, everyone." Xion said. "I'm so glad you're all helping me."

Once again, Mia glanced at Felix, though this was more of a glare. He knew what was going through her mind. He knew she was aware of his true intentions.

The foursome stepped outside and marched on towards Mercury Lighthouse. Though Xion and Garet were in good spirits, the tension between Felix and Mia could be cut with a butterknife.

And something else was on Felix's mind. Despite his plans for Alex, and the appearance of Luxord, he couldn't help but feel there was someone else manipulating things behind the scenes.

He just couldn't shake this feeling of dread.


	10. Beside You In Time

As the cold wind cut through the layers of rag he wore, Felix finally decided that he hated the north. Granted, Prox was colder than Imil, but the actual temperature didn't mean crap when you were out in the freezing cold. At Prox, he was usually indoors, often next to a fireplace. Since leaving, he had spent days upon days out in sub-zero temperatures.

He glanced up at the four Proxian warriors ahead of him. The cold didn't bother them, their race having evolved thick, reptilian skin that insulated them. But Felix was simply a human, and not a very strong one at that. He'd never even lifted a sword before he had woken in Prox. The moment he had opened his eyes in Prox, at the age of fifteen, he'd found a weapon being shoved in his hands and an angry Proxian warrior growling in his face.

The Proxians acted tough, but Felix could occasionally see flashes of fear in their eyes. Like when they looked out at the chasm that was very slowly growing towards their town. They hadn't known what it was, or how to stop it, until they'd received a letter from a small town south of them called Imil.

Their ally in Imil had told them about Mount Aleph, and about the Elemental Stars. Felix himself hadn't even known his village had existed to guard such a secret, until he'd gradually learned bits and pieces of the tale during his stay in Prox.

His stay, which had been a result of their failure. Though they had lost all but four of their warriors in their botched attempt, they had swooped at the opportunity to take Felix back with them when they'd found him unconscious in the river. His parents had been taken as well, along with his friend Isaac's father.

They would need Felix, if they ever did manage to successfully steal the stars. They wanted to light the lighthouses, but each lighthouse could only be lighted with the help of an Adept of the matching element. At Venus Lighthouse, they would need Felix.

But before they were able to do this, they would need to raid the sanctum a second time. And they wanted to ensure that they didn't fail this time. So to do that, they were going to meet up with this mysterious Mercury Adept in Imil who had given them so much information. Felix didn't even know this man's name, but he did know that the Proxians relief heavily on his knowledge of the lighthouses.

And so there he was, struggling to follow along after the four Mars Adepts. The leader of their group, Saturos, had insisted on bringing Felix along. He wanted to 'toughen' him up, as he put it.

"We're nearly there." Saturos announced, as the town was now visible on the horizon. "Karst, go make sure the boy's still alive. I don't want to have to drag a body into the town. It might draw attention."

Karst, one of the two female Proxians, turned back and approached Felix. Out of the four of them, Karst was the only one who could be described as being 'nice' to Felix, though that was still a stretch. She still belittled him when he showed weakness, even if she would offer a hand to help him up that the other three would not.

Felix was shivering visibly, and he was certain his lips were blue. He was exhausted from the trip and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest.

Karst reached him. She quickly looked him over, and shouted back to Saturos, "He looks like hell, but he'll live."

Saturos merely grunted in response. He turned to Karst's sister, Menardi, and started saying something to her.

Karst stepped in line with Felix. "You'd better get your strength up. The trip back will be just as rough, and Saturos is already sore because we had to slow down for you already. He'll want to set a faster pace for the trip back."

Felix didn't say anything. He doubted he could, as his teeth were chattering from the cold.

Karst chuckled. "You southerners are so fragile. How you've even survived this long is beyond me. C'mon, we're at the town gate."

Karst passed him by, joining the others. The Proxians had stopped at the gate. It was nearly dusk, and there were few, if any, villagers out. The Proxians would only dare to enter when it was like this, to avoid drawing attention.

As Felix reached them, he overheard what Saturos was saying.

"...lighthouse. He lives at the sanctum with his cousin. We'll meet up with him, at which point we'll..." Saturos drifted off, having noticed Felix listening. The other three Proxians turned and stared at him.

Felix gulped, and shifted uncomfortably. It was clear they didn't want him around. "Um... what do you want me to do?" He'd forgotten he was cold.

"Stay out of trouble." Saturos said. "And don't draw attention to yourself. Aside from that, I don't care. Find something to occupy your time, but be back here tomorrow morning. I do not want to have to look for you."

Not needing any further instruction, Felix left the Mars Adepts, racing into the town as fast as his freezing legs would carry him. At last, a bit of freedom! He had a few coins in his pocket, but he didn't know what he was going to do to pass the time. All the shops were probably closed by now, and when Saturos had said, 'tomorrow morning', he meant, 'the crack of dawn'.

He was still freezing cold, and the sun was setting fast. Perhaps he could get himself a room at the inn and get a good night's rest. He would certainly need it tomorrow when they left.

He looked around the bare streets, quickly spotting the inn. He raced over, and reached for the doorknob. The door swung open before he touched it, and a girl stepped out, nearly colliding with him. She took a step back, surprised. Felix nearly gasped.

She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Her hair was long, and as blue as the ocean. And the same went for her eyes.

She looked him up and down. "Goodness, you look terrible. What happened to you?"

"Uh..." Felix slurred, trying to find the words. "Just got here from farther north. Rough trip. I was gonna go and get some rest here..."

The girl looked up at him and smirked. "Forget that. Here, come with me."

 

For the third time in his life, Felix stared up at Mercury Lighthouse. A tower he had only ever expected to have to climb once, and here he was again. He glanced over at Xion. She had a look of awe plastered on her face, the usual reaction to seeing a lighthouse for the first time.

Felix had seen it before. He'd seen all four of them. In fact, he was the only person alive who had witnessed the lighting of all four beacons, two of which he'd lit himself. And here he was, offering to escort this girl to each one so she could gather essence from each aerie and create a new body. With little hesitation, he'd signed himself up for another tour. When would it end?

Although in all honesty, deep down he believed Xion's quest was just a pipe dream. Just a futile attempt to get more time when it had already run out. He didn't know all the details, but he knew that her very existence was at the cost of someone else's. Every moment she had was borrowed time. And she was quickly running out.

No, Xion was a lost cause. Best to let her live out her fantasy while she could. His quest, on the other hand...

He had to be here.

Felix glanced around. The lighthouse looked exactly the way it had looked when he'd first come, before Saturos had lit the beacon. The fountain was dry. The beacon was alive, but the Hermes' Water was gone. It didn't make any sense.

But what did make sense was that Alex's wounds needed to be healed by that water. And if Alex wanted it, he would have had to go up in the lighthouse and find out why the fountain was dry.

Alex was here. He could feel it in his bones.

Felix looked over at Mia. She and Garet were discussing something. He didn't know what it was, but Garet would glance over at Xion every now and then, trying to be subtle. He looked almost... guilty.

Xion was wandering around, examining the walls of the lighthouse's entrance. Felix went to her side.

"Don't get too attached to it. You've still got three more to go."

She turned to him. "How exactly is this going to work? The Wise One told me I had to go to the aerie and get the Essence, but how do I do that?"

Felix scratched his head. "I honestly have no idea. I've never heard of anything like this before. Maybe he'll show up and tell you." Felix certainly hoped he would...

Xion turned back to look at the distant top of the tower. "It's a long way up..."

"It really doesn't take as long to climb it as it looks like it would." Felix assured her. "And Mia here knows more about this place than anyone else. She's probably aware of at least a few shortcuts."

Felix glanced back at Mia. She and Garet were done talking, and were on their way over.

"Felix, why did Mia get upset when I mentioned Alex?" Xion asked. "I thought you guys were all friends."

"I'll explain later." Felix said as Mia and Garet stepped beside them.

"With the water flow dry, the main path through the lighthouse is impassable." Mia informed them. "Luckily, the elevator still works."

"That's good." Felix said. "We can go straight to the aerie and get Xion's Essence. What about the Hermes' Water? Do you know what's caused the fountain to run dry?"

Mia shook her head. "It seems that the entire water flow in the lighthouse has stopped. I can't be certain until we head inside, but it appears this way. If this is the case, navigation could be a problem. My plan is to head to the center of the lighthouse, where the water flow begins and start from there. I know an easy way to get to it from the aerie. Hopefully we can figure out if there's blockage or a loose pipe."

"We'll all head to the aerie together." Garet said. "Then Mia and I are going to head off to do the water thingy while you and Xion do your business with the beacon."

"After you and Xion are done, meet us down by the statue of the goddess. Hopefully the water will be flowing again by then." Mia finished. "Any questions?"

"No, sounds like a solid plan." Felix said. "I was thinking much the same thing. Let's get going."

Mia led them to the elevator, a small platform attached to the wall that went straight up to the aerie. The four of them climbed aboard and it rose up in the air.

Felix looked at Xion. Excitement was written all over her young face. She was anticipating the first part of her quest being complete.

His eyes found the stone floor. How innocent she was. It hurt him to think of what would happen to her when reality caught up with her.

Like when it caught up with him...

 

The blue-haired girl guided Felix to a small, cozy coffee shop in the center of town. It was warm and friendly, and everyone there greeted them with smiles. She ordered them both drinks, and they took a seat in the corner.

Felix was in awe of this girl. He had never seen someone as beautiful as she was, nor anyone as friendly. Within moments of meeting him, she was going out of her way to help him and make him comfortable.

"My name is Mia." She said with a warm smile.

"I'm Felix." He replied.

"I can tell you're not from these parts." Mia said, taking a sip of coffee.

"Is it that obvious?"

She nodded, giggling. "You looked like you were about to collapse. I'm actually surprised you're still conscious. You must be made of tougher stuff than most. We don't get many travelers this time of the year."

"Believe it or not, I actually came from farther north. A place even colder than this." Felix told her. "It's not the temperature that wore me down, I suppose. More likely the trip over the mountains."

"Farther north than this?" Mia said in disbelief. "Where?"

"A town called Prox, near Mars Lighthouse."

"I've heard of Mars Lighthouse, but I had no idea there were any kind of settlements there." Mia said. "I always thought it was a frozen wasteland up there."

Felix took a sip of his coffee. It filled his body with warmth and he sighed. Mia, mistaking his sigh for something other than relief, slapped herself on the forehead.

"I'm so sorry." She apologized. "I should have been more considerate. I shouldn't have said that about your home."

Felix quickly shook his head. "Oh, no. Prox isn't my home. I grew up in a village south of here called Vale. Very warm, very pleasant. I could never have spent my childhood in a place like Prox."

"Oh, that makes more sense. But what are you doing traveling all around the northern wilderness?"

Felix stopped to think. He couldn't tell her about the stars, or the lighthouses. He would have to be vague. "Some friends of mine are traveling around. I guess you could say they're explorers. I'm kind of... along for the ride."

"Ah." Mia took another sip.

"We'll be heading back to Prox tomorrow." Felix said, sighing. "I don't exactly look forward to the trip, but it's too late for that. I'm already along for the ride."

"When are you leaving?" Mia asked.

"Sunrise."

"That's a shame." Mia said. "I would've liked to spend more time with you."

Felix looked out the window. The last rays of the setting sun slowly vanished under the horizon. Against the dark sky, the lighthouse was unlit and dark. If they did manage to steal the stars, they would have to return here to light Mercury's beacon. What would this girl think of him if she knew what he was planning? He had only spent a few moments with her, and yet he found her very likable.

He looked up at her. She had an expectant look on her fair face. She had just opened up to him, made herself available for rejection. He could hurt her right now if he wanted to. But the very thought of bringing harm to this angel made him feel sick to the stomach.

He smiled. They smiled together. It was brief, but it was all he had. The Proxians would be there in the morning, ready to being him back to the cold, harsh reality. He couldn't stay in the warm little coffee house forever, exchanging smiles with this pretty, kind girl.

Like the wind outside, reality was cold. But he could hold onto something nice, if just for a little while.

"Yeah, I would've liked to spend more time with you, too."

Twilight to dusk, dusk to night. It felt to Felix like time was a luxury that had been ripped away from his life that day the boulder had fallen. Warmth, safety, comfort, and kindness, the joys of his childhood in Vale. These were all gone, stolen by those Mars Adepts outside.

His life now was cold and dark. These brief moments of warmth were all he had now.

 

The elevator at last reached it's destination. It slid up along the edge of the blue stones of the lighthouse, sliding into place on the left side of the aerie with a low click.

Felix was the first to step off the platform, onto the top of the lighthouse. The beacon was alive, a massive, swirling ball of deep blue energy. The raw essence of the Mercury element.

The surface of the aerie was imperfect, covered with the telling scars of a battle that had occurred there many months ago. Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia's battle with Saturos. The statues of the goddess were defiled, marred with blast marks caused by balls of fire psynergy, provided by both Garet and Saturos. The blue bricks that made up the floor were broken in parts, no doubt from Isaac's earth techniques. Even Ivan had left his mark, as black scorch marks were branded here and there from his lightning attacks.

Yet, despite all the chaotic destruction that had occurred, the surreal atmosphere of the place was still intact. The beacon stood as a vortex, drawing in attention as well as energy.

Felix was aware of Xion reaching his side and drawing her breath. "So that's it, then? That's the beacon?"

Mia appeared behind her. "That's right. The source of all Mercury Alchemy in the world. The pure, Elemental Essence of water."

"It's amazing." Xion gasped.

Garet joined them. "Ah, such fond memories of this place... huh, Mia?"

She nodded. "It had been my duty to prevent this beacon from being lit. And it turned out that my duty had been threatening the world. All along, I had been doing the opposite of what was right. My whole life's work had been a pointless effort."

Felix glanced at Mia. She didn't show any visual signs of the pain she carried, but he could hear it in her voice. It was clear to him how much she had been hurt by Alex's actions. First he had seemingly betrayed her by lighting the Mercury beacon, then it had appeared that he had been doing the honorable thing and saving the world, only to then reveal that he had been in it for power all along.

Yet another reason to kill the bastard.

Garet strolled around the aerie, examining the battle scars. "Man, we really did an number on this place. That Saturos guy sure put up a fight. Even being weakened, it still took four of us to take him down. And even then, it still wasn't enough to kill him."

"Though you did finish him off later, at Venus." Felix pointed out. "Your group grew a lot, to go from nearly losing against one weakened Proxian, to slaying two full powered ones, and again after their transformation."

Garet nodded. "We sure did. Man, that was a hell of a fight. And to think, that we would just end up finishing their quest anyway!"

"Saturos and Menardi didn't need to die." Mia said. "Nor did we have to chase them around Weyard. The whole thing could have been avoided if we had all just sat down and discussed things. They died because they decided to keep things to themselves, and take the hard route. So much pain, so many battles... And it all could have been avoided if everyone had just been more trusting."

There was a tense silence among them. Mia's words had struck a nerve, bringing up something that the Adepts had avoided thinking about for a long time. The fact that the Proxian warriors had died for nothing.

"We can't sympathize with Saturos and the Prox warriors." Felix said, breaking the silence. "They weren't people. They were monsters. I spent more time with them than anyone. I saw them do awful things, and enjoy it on top of that."

"They killed innocent people at Venus Lighthouse." Garet pointed out. "For no reason."

"And that's not the worst of it." Felix muttered, his eyes going dark. "I saw Saturos. I knew what was in his head. He was an animal. He would look at Jenna sometimes. He would look at her... longer than he should have. I knew he wouldn't do anything, because he needed my cooperation. And he knew that if he touched my sister, I would have died before I helped them. But if I hadn't been there... there would have been nothing to stop him."

Xion, now lost in the conversation, looked around. Felix's fists were clenched, and his eyes were deep in memories. His mouth was a tight line. Garet was pacing, his fists also clenched. Jenna was Garet's childhood friend, and he was no doubt furious at the thought. Mia was simply staring off in the distance, a sad look in her eyes. Not looking up, Felix continued his speech.

"They were born and raised in Prox. Most of the people of Prox were good at heart. They had to rely on one another to survive, and it taught them the value of trust. But the warriors... they were sent out to train in the wilderness, in the dead of winter. They trusted no one but themselves, because they learned to rely on no one but themselves. They lived like animals, and so they became animals. I don't regret that they died. I'm glad you and your group killed them, Garet. The same goes for Karst and Agatio. Karst did have some heart in her, but she was still wild. And she still deserved to die. But Saturos... there is no way you can sympathize with him. The world is better off without that creature."

Felix at last looked up, turning to the horizon. "My only regret is that I didn't kill him myself."

A thick silence fell over the group, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Xion stared at Felix, wondering what was going through his head. Wondering how much he still had yet to tell her.

After what felt like forever, Mia at last broke the silence. "We should get moving. Garet, let's go to the center."

The Mars Adept nodded, and he and Mia left without another word. They went to the other side of the aerie, where the second elevator took them down to the room with the statue.

Xion, unsure how to approach Felix after that dark moment, merely waited. At last he turned to her, forcing a smile.

"All right, enough of that. Let's get you your Essence."

They turned to face the beacon. Xion stared down the swirling orb of blue energy, unsure of what to do.

"Now what...?" She muttered. "It would have been great it the Wise One would have told me what to do when I got here..."

Felix approached the beacon and reached his hand out. The tips of his fingers brushed against the sphere, slowly phasing through the ball of energy.

"It's weird." He said. "It feels intangible, like air... but it's thick and dense."

He pulled his hand out. Nothing appeared to be any different.

"Maybe try touching it?" Felix suggested.

Xion approached the sphere apprehensively, gingerly reaching out to caress the swirling orb of energy. The moment her fingers came into contact with the beacon, something happened. Xion tried to jump back, but her hand was stuck. The sphere of energy lit up, and blue streams of light traveled down from the sphere to Xion's arms. The blue light surged into her chest, where her heart would have been.

Felix stepped back, watching in awe. Was she reacting this way because she didn't have a heart? Was that the missing key, what caused the Essence to enter her? Then what happened when Alex tried to absorb the Golden Sun, which contained all four Essences? How would it have reacted to the heart he already possessed? The physical heart that is, as Alex was a heartless bastard in Felix's eyes.

The transfer of energy ended abruptly, and Xion stumbled back, suddenly released from the beacon. Felix ran to her, and caught her before she fell.

"I guess... I guess that was it..." Xion gasped, out of breath.

"How do you feel?" Felix asked.

She thought about it. "Mostly the same... but also a bit different. I can feel the Essence inside me."

"Do you feel any kind of power?" Felix asked, the Golden Sun in his mind.

"No, not really." Xion replied. "I feel just as strong as I was before."

Felix helped her back to her feet. She stood with his support for a moment, until her dizziness faded.

"It feels... right." She said to him. "Like I've regained something I've been missing for a long time."

"That's good." Felix replied. "You're closer to having a heart of your own, to being able to exist as your own person." Though in his mind, Felix was still suspicious of the Wise One.

Xion's lips curved to a wide smile. "I got my first Essence! And I couldn't have done it without you! Thank you, Felix! Thank you so much!" She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

He awkwardly pat her on the back. "Hey, don't thank me yet. We've still got three lighthouses to go."

It might have been his imagination, but the small girl felt warmer to him.

Xion released him. "Let's go catch up with Mia and Garet!"

 

Felix trudged through the thick snow, on his way to the town gate. His goodbyes with Mia had been difficult, but he knew it was better to just not get attached. The night had been short, with Felix only managing to get a few hours of sleep before he'd had to rise and head out to meet up with Saturos and the others.

Expecting four Proxians, he was surprised as he passed through the gateway to find only Agatio waiting for him.

"Uh... where are the others?" He asked hesitantly.

"Change of plans." The large man said. "We're staying here a few more days. Saturos sent me to let you know."

Felix was hardly able to believe his ears. He had more time to spend with Mia!

"Okay, thanks!" He said, turning to run off.

"What have you been up to?" Agatio asked him.

Felix stopped. "Uh, not much. Just hanging around the inn..."

"Keep out of trouble." Agatio warned him. "And stay away from the locals. Remember, we're not going to be here very long."

"Um... how much longer, do you think?" Felix asked.

Agatio shrugged. "The day after tomorrow, I guess. Check back here every morning until you find us waiting here."

"Okay, I will." Felix said, taking off before the Proxian could ask him anything else. Agatio gave him an odd look as he ran, but said nothing.

Felix was on cloud nine. His prayers had been answered. He had more time to spend with Mia!

He didn't know where the girl lived, or how he could find her, so Felix simply roamed the streets as villagers began to emerge from their houses. Though Imil was a small town, he was still rather surprised at how many people actually lived there.

Felix searched for Mia through the streets until he caught a glimpse of her long, blue hair in the distance. He raced up to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Mi-"

The person he thought had been Mia turned around. It wasn't her, it was a man. He looked very similar to her, having the same blue hair, blue eyes, and even similar clothes. Perhaps they were related.

"Can I help you?" The man asked him.

"I'm sorry, I uh..." Felix muttered awkwardly, backing away. " I thought you were someone else."

As Felix turned and ran in the opposite direction, the man tilted his head to the side, watching the boy go with an intrigued look in his eyes.

After what felt like forever, Felix at last located Mia as she emerged from the house of an elderly couple. She noticed him with a start.

"Oh, Felix!" She said. "What a pleasant surprise. I thought you would be gone by now."

"Me, too." He replied with a grin. "Turns out my friends decided to hang around here a little while longer."

Mia was beaming. "That's great, Felix. How much longer will you be staying?"

Felix shrugged. "Dunno. A few days, at least. What are you up to today? If you're not busy, we can hang out."

Mia pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and looked it over. "I only have a few more stops to make. You can come along if you wish, and we can get something to eat once I'm done."

"That sounds great! Let's go!"

As Mia went around the town tending to the sick and injured, Felix learned a few things about her. First, he realized that she was a healer, which he found fitting, due to her compassionate personality. Then, he realized she was an Adept, which was quite a surprise to him. He quickly realized that he couldn't tell her that he was also an Adept, as the Proxians would punish him if he did.

After she was finished making her stops, she took him to get lunch. He wanted to pay this time, but she waved it away, telling him that he was her guest and she'd take care of it.

As they ate, they talked and laughed, and Felix had the best time he'd had in months.

They repeated this for three days, with Felix returning to the gateway each morning to find the Mars Adepts absent. On the fourth day however, Felix woke and found the Proxian warriors impatiently waiting for him.

And so he found himself following after the Mars Adepts, leaving behind the beautiful girl he'd met and spent so much time with.

Though it pained him, he'd prepared for this. He knew that he couldn't have been with her forever. He'd known not to get to close.

The warmth couldn't last forever. Eventually, he had to return to the cold.

 

Mia was struck with awe as she entered the massive chamber through which all the water in Mercury Lighthouse began. She had entered the room before, but she'd never seen it the way it was now.

The entire room was dry, drained of water. The massive basin in which the water flowed through was empty, the pool which was usually filled with water that traveled through tube to various locations throughout the Lighthouse. But it didn't take her long to spot the reason why.

Some sort of... machine was blocking the flow of water. It appeared to be a massive cube set at the far end of the basin, black with a white symbol in it's center. Various blue and red lights flickered on and off, indicating that it was functioning.

Garet emerged behind her, similarly in awe of the state of the chamber. "What is that thing?" He asked her, pointing at the huge device at the other end of the room.

"That's the reason why the fountain has run dry." Mia replied.

The device explained the lack of water, and yet it didn't. It couldn't have just been blocking the water like a dam. The build-up of pressure would have destroyed it.

Mia approached the device, Garet following behind her. As she neared it, she got a good estimate of it's size. It was perfectly square in shape, and it stood nearly halfway to the roof of the chamber, which itself had to be at least fifty feet high.

Mia reached the end of the ledge, and descended down the stairs into the basin. She landed off the steps, onto the stone of the basin. Garet followed her down. The basin, which was usually filled to the brim with water, was bone dry. The water had to have been blocked for at least a month for it to be this dry.

They made their way across the chamber, their footsteps echoing in the large room. Mia at last reached the huge device, which towered over her. She reached out and touched it. It was unnaturally smooth, and cool to the touch. The entire black cube was unblemished, with only a single flaw in it's entirety. A small section in it's center, in front of Mia. It too was cube shaped, as though a much smaller cube had been cut out from it's side.

Garet went to her side and examined the small hollow. "No way..." He muttered.

Mia turned to him as he unbuttoned the pocket of his jacket, taking the small cube he has found when chasing Luxord. Though it was gray rather than black, it had the same white emblem on one side that the massive cube before them had.

"That's that stone Luxord dropped." Mia observed.

Garet nodded. "I noticed the symbols matched."

"Luxord mentioned a key, saying that you'd taken it from him." Mia said. "Do you think he was talking about that stone?"

"If he was, then that means that he was responsible for this thing." Garet replied, indicating the huge stone cube. "I don't know how, but he must have put it here."

"But what purpose would he have for blocking the fountain?" Mia wondered.

Garet shrugged, turning the small cube in has hands over, examining it. Mia turned back to the large device, examining it.

"I can sense psynergy within this thing." She mused. "The water that flows through the Lighthouse is infused with Mercury psynergy. Perhaps this thing isn't merely blocking the water, but absorbing it for it's energy?"

Garet turned back to her. "Maybe Luxord's Organization put it here to absorb the water so they could use it as a power source?"

"If they are absorbing it, that would explain why the build-up of water behind it hasn't smashed the walls of the lighthouse." Mia said. "If we could just get rid of it, the lighthouse would quickly refill."

"So this... key..." Garet said, holding up the stone cube. "If we stick it in that hole, will it let us turn off the device?"

"Only one way to find that out." Mia replied, stepping out of the way.

Garet stood where she had been, right in front of the cube-shaped hollow. He took a deep breath, and gingerly slid the small square into place. It was a perfect fit. They waited, holding their breath.

Nothing happened.

"I don't get it." Garet muttered. "Why hasn't anything happened?"

"You put it in the wrong way." Spoke a voice from behind them.

Garet and Mia spun around to face the one who had spoken. On the other side of the basin stood a hunched-over man in a white cloak with a drawn hood. His hands and face were visible, though they were covered in bandages. Only his mouth and left eye were exposed. The eye was a deep blue that matched Mia's.

"I know that voice..." Mia gasped. "Alex!"

Alex laughed, though his voice sounded weak. He attempted something of a bow, though he look like he was about to fall over as he did so.

"So you finally decided to show your face." Garet growled. "Or what's left of it, anyway. What happened to you?"

Alex slowly approached them, limping as he did so. "I found myself atop Mt. Aleph as it sank into the earth. Unfortunately, an unpleasant experience prior to the cataclysm had rendered me paralyzed, and I was unable to dodge the many boulders that collapsed on top of me. Had I not been an Adept, I have no doubt I would have been crushed."

"You look like hell." Garet spat.

"I suppose I do, my oafish friend." Alex replied. "But I live, and I wish to continue doing so."

"That's not going to happen if Felix shows up." Garet said. "You'd better get running before he catches up with us. I may not be willing to kill you, but he'll actually enjoy it."

Mia glanced at Garet. For all his goofiness and apparent dullness, he was actually very observant, and much more intelligent than he seemed.

"Oh, I'm well aware of Felix's vendetta against me." Alex muttered. "I suppose he and I will have out fated duel some day, but I don't think it would be a fair fight as I am now."

"You need the Hermes' Water to heal your wounds." Mia said. "That's why you came back. But because this thing is in the way, you can't do that."

"My cousin is as wise as she is beautiful." Alex said. "Yes, I've been hanging around my former hometown, witnessing a thing or two until someone came along who could unblock the water. Which reminds me..."

Alex reached deep in his white cloak, pulling something out and offering it to Garet. It was a small playing card with a clock printed on it.

"So it was you who put this in my room!" Garet exclaimed, snatching the card from him.

"No." Alex said. "Why would I do that?"

Garet rubbed his forehead. "Well somebody had to have put it there, and it wasn't Luxord. So I figured it was the other weird guy."

"That's too bad. It would seem your search for answers will go unfinished. If I knew who put that card in your room, I'd tell you. I know a lot, but that's a first for me."

"Then where did you find this?" Garet asked.

"I saw you drop it in the snow as you chased the fellow in the black coat." Alex said. "I saw him in the woods earlier, as well. You did a good job on him, but he still lives. In fact he's set a trap for you here in the Lighthouse, but as you used the elevator to get up here I think he'll be somewhat upset when he finds he wasted his time."

"Luxord is here, too?" Garet demanded.

Alex nodded. "And he wants Felix's companion back. Or his leader does, anyway."

Mia exchanged quick glances with Garet. He'd noticed it, too. Alex had let something slip. How would he have known about Xion or that Luxord was part of an Organization?

"You said that Garet put the key in wrong..." Mia said, trying to change the subject before Alex realized his mistake.

"Indeed. It's pretty clear that the emblem should be facing outwards. He put it in backwards." Alex said with a wave of his hand. "Although if I were you, I'd wait until you deal with Luxord before you fix it. You'll lose that precious element of surprise I gave you if he looks over his shoulder and sees water flowing past him."

Alex sighed. "In any case, Garet is right. I'd better get going before Felix arrives. He has such expectations for our battle, and I'd better toughen up before he finds me."

He turned to leave, but stopped. "Things are certainly getting interesting though, aren't they? Just wait until the star reaches the moon."

And without explaining those final words, he left Garet and Mia there. Though Mia did not know it, it would be the last time she ever saw her cousin.


	11. And All That Could Have Been

Something was in his mind.

It had been there for a while, but he'd only just now noticed. He'd realized it when his forehead had started bleeding from him unconsciously scratching it too much. Someone... or something was trying to enter his mind.

Luxord shuffled his deck of cards. He couldn't stay in this world much longer. Hopefully his trap would work, and he could kill the Adepts and return with Xion.

But it was such a long shot. He couldn't fight three Adepts and Xion, even with the stronger panels he'd equiped.

It's not hopeless. You can do it. You can kill them.

What was this he felt...? Was it fear? How could he feel anything? He was a Nobody! His existence was nothing. He was nothing!

But he didn't want to die...

You can do this. You're stronger now. They will beg for mercy at your feet. They will die.

He wanted to preserve his life. He wanted to go back to the castle, and return with help. He didn't want to die like this.

Life truly was like a game of cards, he realized with a dark laugh. You could win, and you could lose.

All the cards are in your favor this time. Play them! You will win!

He didn't want to be forgotten. Perhaps this is why Xion had fled, why Roxas had defied them... Perhaps they had a similar epiphany. Perhaps they wanted to live.

But what was the point? He was nothing more than a tool. That's why Xemnas had send him and the others out to these towers, to stand guard until she showed up. Xion was a more important tool to him. He and the other three... they were disposable.

Maybe this is what was entering his mind. The sobering truth. It was truly ironic that it came to him when it was too late. He didn't want to think about how he was trapped here. He didn't understand why he couldn't summon Dark Corridors, but he did understand what it meant.

Even if he succeeded, he would fail.

When he closed his eyes, he could almost see a face. And a name was on the tip of his tongue. He was trying to remember something... something he hadn't thought about since long ago, when he had been a Somebody. Before a Heartless had taken his life, and turned him into this emotionless shell.

They know!

It hit him in an instant. The key... someone had put the key in the device! They'd done it wrong, but he could still sense it!

They know you're here! Find them! Kill them!

Luxord looked back at his trap. A false floor, which gave out when you stepped over it. Not much, but at least it would have divided them, giving him more of a chance. Now it was for nothing. They knew he was here, and they would kill him.

No! You kill them! You make them die! You will survive this day, and the Adepts will die! Garet, Mia, Felix! Kill them all!

Felix... he was the dark one in green... how did he know his name?

What was in his head?

Luxord clenched his fists. These damn Adepts! They had to die! Die! Die!

He took off for the stairs. He knew where they would be. In the room where the water began. Where he'd set up the device for Xemnas.

It was time to kill.

 

Felix looked across the aerie. Saturos and Alex were preparing to light the beacon. Alex was keeping a watchful eye on the elevator opposite of the one Felix was about to board. He was no doubt awaiting the arrival of Isaac and his group.

Jenna stood beside him. It had been a hard truth for his sister to accept, but lighting the Lighthouses was the only way for their parents to be freed. She had fought them along the way, but her resistance had waned. She was now resigned to the quest, just as he was. In the end, it had been their parents that had convinced her, and not saving the world.

The scholar Kraden had gone along quicker. As soon as he'd learned about the erosion of the world, he accepted that the Lighthouses had to be lit. He'd pestered Alex with questions about the Lighthouses and Alchemy, but the Mercury Adept only gave him bits and pieces, as he did with everyone.

Felix had recognized Alex the moment he'd seen him. He was the blue-haired man Felix had bumped into, mistaking him for that girl he'd been with. It hadn't taken him very long to figure out that Alex was the mysterious contact from Imil when he'd showed up in Prox with scrolls and maps. It was he who had set everything in motion. The Proxians wouldn't even know there were other lighthouses if it hadn't been for him.

When they'd returned to Imil after raiding the sanctum, he'd also figured out that Alex was the cousin of the pretty girl he'd spent his time with while he'd been there. It was little wonder, considering how alike they were in appearance. As far as personality, they were total opposites. The girl had been kind and caring, as compassionate as a human could be. Alex, on the other hand was little more than a blank face and a condescending attitude. And he flirted with Jenna.

Felix didn't like him.

It was strange to him how two people could be so similar in both blood and body, and yet have utterly opposite hearts. Alex's cousin had been one of the most kind and beautiful people Felix had ever met. Even though it had been over a year and a half ago, he could still remember how much he enjoyed his time with her...

That's why he hated himself for forgetting her name.

From the elevator, Felix watched as Alex noticed something, and went to Saturos' side, whispering something in his ear. Alex casually strolled behind the unlit beacon, and Saturos threw the star in. Why was Alex hiding behind the beacon?

"It's time to go." Menardi said. "Things here are about to get ugly."

Jenna turned and stepped first onto the elevator, sighing as she did so. Though she wanted nothing more than to simply sit down and talk with Isaac, she'd already argued her point to the two Proxians, and they could have cared less. In their eyes Isaac was a threat, and Saturos had chosen to stay behind to eliminate it.

Felix didn't like it anymore than she did, but he knew better than to argue with Saturos. Once his mind was made up, nothing could be said or done to change it.

Isaac and Garet were already dead.

The lighthouse roared to life as Kraden and Menardi joined Felix's sister on the elevator. Felix waited for a moment to watch the beacon emerge from within the lighthouse. Truly a breathtaking sight.

"They're here. Let's go, Felix." Menardi said.

Felix glanced back at the other side where four figures had just arrived, shocked to find the beacon already lit. He quickly made out the shapes of his two friends, Isaac and Garet. It pained him to see them go, but he couldn't save them. He just wasn't strong enough. All he could do was see them one last time, and remember them.

He spotted a small boy with them, garbed in finer cloth than what they were wearing. He had to be Ivan, Master Hammet's servant. They'd heard about him when they'd passed through Vault. There was a fourth Adept among them, in the back... Who was...

No...

His heart stopped. It was her! Alex's cousin!

Saturos was going to kill them...

The elevator started moving before Felix could jump off it. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair that someone so kind and perfect be ripped from the world for nothing. And yet, what could he do? Even if he could somehow get back up to the aerie, how could he stop Saturos? He'd just get killed, too.

Alex... He'd hidden behind the beacon...

So he could watch Saturos kill his cousin. His only surviving family. The man truly was heartless.

Felix simply stared at the walls of the lighthouse rushing past them as they fell. He had failed so utterly... He'd never felt so weak. They didn't have to kill anybody to complete this quest, much less their friends and family. And now, Felix would lose his friends, Jenna would lose the man she loved, and the girl...

All for nothing.

Her name... he wished he could remember her name.

Menardi's presence was the only thing that held back his tears.

 

Xion stopped for a second, glancing down a long hallway.

"I hear footsteps." She said to Felix.

Felix stopped and went to her side, also looking down the hallway. "We're two rooms away from where Mia and Garet are. Maybe it's one of them?"

Xion shook her head. "No..."

From the darkness burst the image of Luxord charging at them full-speed, with a fury in his eyes he should not possess.

"It's Luxord!" Xion exclaimed, drawing her katana. Felix's sword quickly joined her.

"So you survived!" Felix called out to him.

Luxord did not reply. Instead he threw one of his hands in the air.

Xion gasped as she saw a flash of light, and pain shot through her body. She quickly shook it off, and noticed she'd been thrown back, along with Felix.

"Lightning!" She exclaimed, climbing to her feet as quickly as she could. "He's got magic panels!"

"You call that a spell?" Felix demanded, drawing his psynergy power. All the while, Luxord still had not stopped or even slowed down.

The Nobody's progress towards them was cut short, as the ground below his feet exploded from Felix's Psynergy. He flew up, hitting the roof, before falling back to the ground.

Felix turned to Xion. "Move out! We can't fight in this narrow hallway!"

She nodded in reply, and they raced out in the direction of the Lighthouse's center, where Mia and Garet were.

"Something's off about him..." Felix said as they ran.

"Yeah..." Xion agreed. "He's never like that. He usually gloats before a battle. I've never seen him... attack his enemy like that before. Even when we were fighting Heartless, he'd always say some stupid crap about cards or gambling before we fought."

They reached the room that led to the center. Felix ran to the door, and attempted to open it.

It didn't work.

"What the hell is this? It's locked!" He exclaimed.

Xion spun around, looking the new room over. It was larger than the hallway had been, but not nearly cozy enough for a comfortable battle. Of course, with Felix's earth Psynergy being as chaotic as it was, they would have to stick to swordplay.

But that didn't mean Luxord would.

Xion turned to Felix. "Is there anywhere else we can fight? He has an advantage in tight spaces, especially if he's using magic."

Felix turned back to answer her, but he was interrupted by a fireball that he narrowly dodged. Felix turned, sword raised, to find Luxord standing in the hallway. Something was definitely wrong with him. He was breathing heavily, his veins were popping out of his skin, and his eyes were so bloodshot it was a wonder he could see.

Luxord's breathing got more ragged and labored as he raised his deck of cards before them.

"Look out!" Xion warned him.

Luxord opened his hand, and the cards collapsed, falling uselessly to the floor. His lips twisted into a sick grin, and his arm fell to his side.

"He'd up to something..." Felix muttered. "Be ready."

Luxord closed his eyes, and when he opened them, red blood dripped from his eyes, running down his face. He shakily raised his right arm again, stretched out to his side. There was a flash of light, and he wrapped his fingers around an object that appeared: a strange rod-like weapon that resembled a large key.

"My keyblade!" Xion nearly screamed.

Luxord stepped towards Felix, eerily calm. The Venus Adept raised his sword to fight.

 

The fire before them crackled softly, it's light just barely illuminating the small clearing in which they'd made camp. Felix, Jenna, and Kraden sat, staring silently at the flames, their minds on the events of the Lighthouse. Menardi was nearby, seated upon a large rock by the road, watching for Saturos and Alex's return.

"Would he really kill them?" Jenna asked, hesitantly breaking the silence. Though the question had been on each of their minds, none of them had dared to bring it to focus by asking it aloud.

Jenna and Kraden exchanged glances, then turned to face Felix. He knew why. The question was for him. He had spent much more time with Saturos than anybody in their group, save Menardi. They were asking Felix if their 'leader' would kill four teenagers when it was completely unnecessary to complete their quest.

Felix sighed. He didn't want to say it, but he had to. "Yes. He would."

Jenna turned back to the fire. She loved Isaac. Felix had not no doubt of that. The night's events must have been harder on her than any of them. Isaac and Garet were Felix's friends, and Kraden had tutored the boys, but Jenna was much closer to them than they were.

Felix almost felt guilty that he was more concerned for the girl than his friends.

They waited for long minutes. Felix's only shadow of hope was that Isaac and his friends had managed to defeat Saturos. He couldn't say that he would miss the man if they had. But he knew better.

And those thin hopes were dashed by the sound of labored footsteps dragging through the leaves towards them. They turned to face the newcomers. Menardi returned to the fire, supporting a wounded Saturos. The Mars warrior had a dark look upon his features.

Characteristically of Alex, he was nowhere in sight.

Though Felix and the others were sent back to the tents so the Proxians could talk, it wouldn't have been the first time Felix had eavesdropped on their conversations. He didn't hear much, as his tent was far from them and they spoke in hushed voices, but he did manage to pick up that Isaac and his group had actually beaten him. His face split into a wide grin at that.

So they were alive, after all.

 

Garet was about to suggest they leave to find Felix and Xion when the wall at the far end of the room simply exploded. Garet and Mia spun around in shock.

Felix and Xion came flying out of the explosion like tossed dolls, landing unpleasantly on the stone floor just before the stunned pair.

"W-what the hell...?" Garet said in disbelief.

Mia quickly ran to Felix and Xion, casting healing Psynergy on them before she even reached their sides.

Felix rolled over, rubbing his forehead and groaning. Xion sat up, looking about wildly.

"What just happened?" Mia demanded.

Felix leaped to his feet, raising his sword in battle stance. Xion did the same, though her blade had fallen a few yards from her, as she did not have Felix's experience with actually having to hold onto your weapon.

"Guys, what just... oh..." Garet noticed the cause of their arrival.

Luxord stepped through the rubble that had once been rooms, far end wall. Blood continued to drip from his eyes, and thin black smoke seemed to be radiating off his body. Every step he took left an imprint in the shape of his boot.

"Ahhhhhhmmmmmnnnngggg... thiiiiisss bbbbooooooodddddyyyyyyy..." He said in a voice that was deeper than his usual, and lacked his accent. "Iiiiiisssss ..."

He tilted his head to the side and cracked his neck so loudly it reverberated through the room. Mia gasped, having thought he'd just broken his own neck, but he still lived.

Luxord's hair was no longer the short cut it had been, but now it stuck up in all ends as though he'd just been electrocuted. There were blue marks under his eyes, which still had blood dripping from them.

"Guys." Garet said, as they silently observed all this. "When we get back to Kalay... I'm done adventuring. This is just getting way too weird."

He took a few steps towards them, before bending over and screaming in agony. As he hunched over, they could see the bones of his spine bursting from his skin, having grown spikes at each vertebrae. They also noticed his fingernails were longer.

"My goodness..." Xion gasped. "What's happening to him...?"

"Ddddyyyyiiiiiinnnnnngggggg,,," He growled, rising to face them. "Mmmmmmuuuuuussssssttttttt qqqquuuuiiiiiccckkklllllyyyyy..."

Luxord then charged at them with inhuman speed, Xion's keyblade appearing in his hand. Felix reacted the first, his own sword blocking Luxord's in a parry. However, the impact of Luxord landing sent out a shockwave that sent the other three flying back. The ground below him had turned into a crater.

"YOU INTERFERE!" Luxord screamed at Felix in a voice that resembled shattering glass. "MY VESSELS!" He hissed at Felix, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

Felix jumped back from Luxord, summoning Ragnarok. The massive blade of Psynergy penetrated Luxord, who did not even attempt to dodge it. The blade exploded, temporarily blinding the group.

Before Felix could even see the damage he caused, Luxord's clawed hands were around throat, squeezing with a grip like iron. Reacting solely out of instinct, Felix plunged his blade into his attacker's chest where the heart would have been.

Precious seconds passed before the others realized that the rapidly-transforming Luxord was strangling Felix. In fact, due to his legs having grown longer, and massive strength, he was actually holding Felix several feet up in the air. Felix's sword was sticking out of his chest, though he didn't seem to notice it.

"DIE!" The creature that used to be Luxord hissed.

"Felix!" Xion exclaimed. She leaped to her feet, racing to Luxord, and swinging her katana through his left leg, cutting straight through.

Luxord dropped Felix, who stumbled away coughing. He fell to the ground, unable to stand on a single leg from his increased height.

Garet and Mia had recovered from the blast, and were drawing their weapons. Xion ran to Felix's side, to make sure he was okay.

In the minute of so that had passed, Luxord's body had already morphed further away from humanity. His skin looked milky and unnaturally pale. His remaining leg was now a foot longer than it had been. His boots were gone, clawed feet having burst through them. His black coat was torn to shreds, bones having grown into long spikes that protruded from his body. Blood was flowing freely from his eyes, which were colored over in red. His eyebrows were gone, and his ears had grown long and pointed. His hair was now pure white and drifed down past his shoulders. His teeth were fangs.

Whatever was happening to him, he looked atrocious.

"What the hell is up with this guy?" Garet demanded. Mia simply shook her head, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Felix's sword slid out of it's chest, covered in some sort of thick, white pus. He grabbed the blade and returned to his feet, rubbing his red throat. "I don't know." He rasped. "But we have to kill it, and now!"

They all raised their weapons and charged the creature at once, swinging their blades down on it. They never hit it, as a force field of black energy surrounded the creature, knocking them all back.

Before their horrified eyes, the bones in the creature's severed limb began to grown outwards, forming the skeleton of a lower leg and foot. A layer of muscle followed that, with veins and arteries wrapping around it. Then, white flesh grew out over that, and the creature rose to stand as though it had never lost it's leg.

"Unbelievable..." Mia gasped. "Gods help us..."

The creature's transformation appeared to be more-or-less complete. It's skin was so pale, it was see-through. Thick spikes stood out of the vertebrae in it's spine, and it stood over two heads taller than Felix. It spung around to face the Venus Adept. It's eyes were no longer bleeding. It didn't even have eyes anymore, just blank, black sockets.

"Hit it with Psynergy!" Felix ordered.

The area around the monster erupted into chaos. It was simultaneously pierced by spires of earth, crushed by frozen blocks of ice, and drowned in lava. All the while, the creature flailed it's arms about and shrieked in agony. Xion, unable to do anything, just stepped back.

"Don't let up!" Felix cried. "Keep hitting it!"

And they didn't. The three Adepts attacked the creature before them with a ferocity unlike any they had before. Not even the three-headed dragon atop Mars Lighthouse had taken such a beating.

At last, unable to keep it up any longer, the Adepts stepped back. As the remnants of their last attacks faded, they were greeted with a horrible sight.

The creature wasn't even scratched.

But it was now very angry. It turned to Felix, singling him out once again, and shrieked in pure, blood-curling rage. It appeared before him in the blink of an eye, and struck him with the force of a moving truck, sending him flying across the room.

"Felix!" Xion screamed. She charged at the creature, her katana in the air.

It spun around to face her as if annoyed. It pointed the keyblade at her, and a spark of white energy shot out and hit her in the chest.

"Oh..." Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed to the floor.

Garet and Mia went after it, but it merely waved it's hand in response. Wispy, black tendrils emerged from the floor, wrapping around the two Adepts like rope. The smoke drifted into their nostrils and mouths, and their heads bobbed.

"NO DISTRACTIONS." It growled, turning it's attention back to Felix.

It was surprised then, when the first thing it saw was Felix's enraged face flying towards it before his sword sliced right through the creature's right arm.

The severed arm hit the floor, melting into white pus. The keyblade vanished in a flash of light.

The creature roared in agony, but Felix wasn't done yet. He then swung his blade through the monster's legs, severing them both at the knee. Unable to stand, the creature collapsed.

"That's your weakness, isn't it?" Felix exclaimed. "You resist Psynergy like it's nothing, but your body is thinner than butter!"

The creature screamed as Felix then severed it's left arm, leaving it with no limbs. Already it's right arm was growing back, but Felix ignored it as he stepped on top of the defenseless creature's chest and pointed his blade at it's forehead.

"You'd better hope my friends are okay, or I'll find you in the next world, and we'll do this everyday, you filthy Nobody."

"YOU WILL PERISH WHEN I-"

The sentence was cut short as Felix's sword plunged into the creature's forehead, emerging on the other side. Felix pulled the blade out, white fluid going everywhere, then swung it through the neck, cutting the head clean off.

"If that doesn't kill it, I don't know what will."

Felix hopped off the headless, limbless torso. As he stepped off, the body began liquifying, and started to melt. The various severed limbs, including the arm Xion had cut off, followed this process. The pasty, white flesh of the deformed creature melting into the thick pus it bled, before vanishing altogether.

All that was left behind was the naked, lifeless body of Luxord, which emerged from the melting torso.

Felix turned away from this and ran to Xion. She was already rising and holding her forehead when he reached her side.

"Oh, man... What happened...?" She groaned.

Felix didn't answer, simply embracing the small girl. He tried to hold back tears. For a moment there, he'd thought she was dead.

"Hey now, not so tight..." Xion laughed softly.

As Felix held her, Garet and Mia rose, the black smoke that had held them having vanished. They looked around, and spotted Felix and Xion. Garet grinned, and opened his mouth as though to say something, but Mia shook her head and silenced him.

Finally, Felix released her. "I killed it."

"You mean Luxord?"

He nodded, pointing to the Nobody's body.

Xion rose, shaking her head. "Nobodies don't leave corpses." She explained, as they all sheathed their weapons. "They fade away when they die, leaving nothing behind."

She turned the body over. Luxord met her gaze. His breathing was thin and shallow, and he was covered in wounds from the transformation.

"That's him, all right." Garet said, joining them. "That's the bastard who..."

"Quiet!" Xion said. "He's trying to say something."

"...so sorry... Xion..." Luxord whispered. "You... just wanted... to live..."

She nodded.

"Find it... what you... came here for... H-help me... Help me up... I have to tell you..."

Xion gently helped the dying Nobody rise to a seated position. The three Adepts gathered around, listening intently.

"It was a... being... in my... body..." Luxord struggled. "Ancient... very powerful... he wants... something... he... he... OH, PLEASE NO!"

Xion jumped back. Luxord clenched his temples, screaming. Blood started pouring out of his ears.

"HE'S IN MY HEAD! GET IT OUT! GET HIM OUT OF MY HEAD! LUNOS! STOP THE PAIN!"

"Guys, get away from him." Felix said. They started backing away.

Luxord's eyes started bulging out of his skull. The temples in his forehead were popping out of his skin. He was screaming.

"Guys, MOVE!" Felix yelled. They took off running in the opposite direction.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Luxord's head burst open like a crushed watermelon, pieces of red matter flying in every direction. Xion and the Adepts jumped, avoiding the explosion. The headless body slid back down to the floor for a moment, before vanishing. All the splattered brain matter on the floor vanished as well.

Xion and the Adepts looked on at this with varied expressions. Mia seemed on the verge of tears, Garet was holding back a laugh, and Felix simply looked confused.

"And that, my friends... is why I never took Algebra." Garet muttered.

The others stared at him. "You think that was funny?" Mia exclaimed. "That poor man's head just exploded! Can you imagine how much that must have hurt?"

"Like a migraine, only a thousand times worse." Felix muttered.

"Poor Luxord." Xion sighed. "He was never really a bad person, he just didn't understand the difference between good and evil. Nobodies aren't able to make choices like that. He never realized he could be more than just a tool for Xemnas."

"You did." Felix said.

Xion sighed again. "But I'm a special case. Luxord was just an ordinary Nobody. I wonder what he was like before he turned? He wasn't exactly mean, like Saix or Xaldin were, but I couldn't say he was nice either. He was just... indifferent."

"Like a man at the card table, just dealt a fresh hand." Garet mused. "Life was never anything more than a game to him. Good or evil was a choice just like blackjack or poker, white pieces or black pieces, holding the ace or throwing it back in. In the end, it didn't matter to him what the game was or how he played it, so long as he played it well."

The others turned to Garet again, this time surprised by his accurate sum-up of Luxord's life. Garet laughed and stretched.

"Well, I'm beat after that crazy battle. What do you say we fix the flow of the water and get out of here?"

 

Jupiter Lighthouse had been a tough climb, but what he saw at the end had nearly send Felix over the edge. He knew Karst and Agatio were after Isaac, but he hadn't expected them to go after the others.

So when he found Mia caught in their trap, along with Garet, who was struggling to hold on to the edge of the Lighthouse with one hand, he had been ready to go after the two Proxians himself.

Felix had only seen Mia a single time after Mercury Lighthouse, ironically at the top of the next Lighthouse. It seemed these towers were the only place the two parties would ever meet. It has been at Venus Lighthouse that Felix had finally remembered her name, though the reunion had been for naught, as she didn't seem to remember him at all.

He had been their to protect his new companion, Sheba. And so he had, the two of them watching from afar as Isaac's party and Saturos and Menardi engaged in a ferocious battle. And in the end, it had been Isaac's group that had one. The defeated Proxians falling dead into the Lighthouse beacon.

Mia had actually been the last thing on his mind during that time. Between fearing he would have to battle Isaac's group, to leaping off the Lighthouse to save Sheba, to awakening on a drifting island, it had been a wild afternoon for him.

But Felix had thought fondly of Mia from time to time during their quest. Although he had been forced to accept that she was with Isaac's party, and that they were enemies, he still could not deny that he had at least a crush on the girl. Which was even more strange, as he only saw her a few short times.

So he had been ready to go at the Proxian's throats when they had endangered her life. It made sense that they would go after the healer first, a fact their cold, calculating minds had not doubt realized.

But his duty came first. They reached something of an uneasy alliance, and the Proxians rushed off to the aerie. Felix took the Mars Star from Isaac, and went after them with Piers. He was as concerned about Mia as he was about Isaac, but he knew they were in safe hands with Jenna, Sheba, and Kraden.

The betrayal that took place after the beacon was lit did not surprise Felix in the slightest. Any hint of Karst's previous kindness to him had vanished long ago.

The night had been a dark one, but everything worked out more-or-less. The two parties met the next day in a house in Contigo, and united to light Mars Lighthouse. The alliance was shaky at first, but they eventually came to trust one-another.

But Felix was disappointed to find that Mia still did not remember him.

 

The four teenagers stood resting, relaxing in the aftermath of the battle with the possessed Luxord. Though Felix was interested in exactly what the ancient being Luxord had mentioned was, the relaxed and light atmosphere quickly drove it from his mind. Mia was laughing for the first time since he'd returned to Imil, and he couldn't deny that it was infectious.

"C'mon, guys." Garet groaned, though he struggled to hide a grin. "Let's get rid of that eyesore!" He pointed at the massive cube device.

Mia laughed, playfully elbowing Garet. "That's all you, knucklehead. You're the one that put the key in wrong in the first place."

Xion grinned to Felix. She had been worried at first, but things had ended well after all. Remembering her keyblade, she extended her hand to summon it, but it did not appear. It had vanished, along with the extra matter the being that possessed Luxord had summoned. She was disappointed, but there was time to worry about that later. At least she still had her katana.

In response to Mia's words, Garet stared open-mouthed at the massive cube at the other end of the room. "But that's so far! And Luxord hurt my legs when we fought!"

Mia waved her hand. "Already took care of that. I can Ply without you even realizing it."

Garet groaned. "Fine, I'll do it..." He stood up and started walking for the device.

Mia flashed Felix a smile. The first one since they had broken up. He smiled back. It was great. It was like everything was back to the way it had been before Mars Lighthouse. Back when they were just a bunch of kids on a quest, enjoying every minute of it.

Mia caught Garet's ear and pulled him back. "I changed my mind." She said. "You just stay here. I'll take care of it. I wouldn't want you messing it up more."

Garet groaned, though once Mia had passed him, he winked to Felix. The Venus Adept chuckled and shook his head. Xion laughed.

Felix felt good. He felt better than he had in months. Maybe... maybe he didn't need to kill Alex after all. Maybe all he needed was his friends.

Mia reached the device at the far end of the room. She gave Garet a thumbs up, and he returned it.

From where they were sitting, they could see Mia pull Garet's stone key out of the device and dramatically turn it around so the emblem was facing outwards. Mia emphasized that it was the right way to face, which had Garet chuckling.

Mia was certainly beautiful, Felix realized. Maybe once this was all over, he could patch things up with her. Maybe he could get the old gang together, and help him get Xion's Essences. Gather everyone together for one more adventure. And maybe, just maybe... he and Mia could fall in love all over again.

Mia, having turned the cube the right way, slid it back into place. There was a flash of light...

He was so glad to have her...

 

Despite the initial shakiness, each of the two groups had quickly figured out what the other was: a bunch of friendly teenagers stuck traveling the world. There were many reunions and introductions. Felix eagerly anticipated having a conversation alone with Mia, but the return to the ship had been hectic (no doubt assisted by the appearance of flying wings on the sides of Piers' ship, much to the Lemurian's dismay).

After night had fallen, he at last located her in the kitchen, getting a drink of water. He stepped inside, and she turned around.

"Oh, hello." She said, smiling and offering her hand. "I'm Mia. I don't think we've properly met."

Felix forced a smile, though he felt crushed. He had been hoping she would remember him, but it made sense that she didn't. It had been over three years ago that they'd spend that time in Imil. His hair was longer, too.

He himself had forgotten her name for months, so he couldn't blame her.

"I don't think we have." He replied, taking her hand. "I'm Felix."

Something in her eye caught his attention. A flicker of doubt? Hesitation?

She laughed anyway. "I've heard a lot about you. Garet loves to tell stories."

"Nothing too personal, I hope."

"I suspect the legitimacy of some..."

"Really?" He said, unable to help but grin. "Do tell."

She scratched the back of her head. "Well, when Garet claims to saving your life from wild monsters and winning an award from the village, I kind of doubt it's not exaggerated. Especially when Isaac rolls his eyes and facepalms throughout the entire tale."

Felix chuckled. "At least he left out the dragons. He used to love slaying dragons."

They both laughed. An awkward silence settled, neither of them sure what to say next. Mia took a sip of water.

"Jenna seems nice..." She said, searching for something to say.

"She is..." Felix replied. "When she's not angry at you. As her brother, I get headaches from it a lot."

Mia laughed softly. "Yeah..." There was something wrong. Mia seemed hesitant, disappointed. It was almost like...

"Hey..." He began, not sure how to approach it. It was a weird thing to talk about, but he felt he needed to. "I don't know if you remember, but three years ago I was traveling, and I stopped in your hometown, and..."

Mia's eyes lit up. "That WAS you! I though it might have been someone else, or you might have forgotten, but you remembered! Why didn't you bring it up sooner?"

She did remember! "I just... I thought it was you who didn't remember."

Mia was beaming. "I'm so glad you remembered. I thought it was going to make things really awkward."

Felix grinned. "Well, at least that's over with."

Mia stepped over to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "That's for remembering me." She said, trying not to blush.

"How could I forget someone like you?" He asked, also trying not to blush. Neither of them were doing very well.

"Um..." Mia said, suddenly embarrassed by her impulsive act. "I'd better get going... It's pretty late..."

"Yes, certainly." Felix said.

Mia finished her water, and all but ran to the door. Her face was all red, and she was grinning. "Uh... I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded.

"Goodnight." She said as she stepped outside. After she'd left, Felix found himself gently touching the spot on his cheek where she'd kissed him.

He smiled. He couldn't wait for tomorrow.

 

Xion's head broke the surface of the water, and she struggled to breathe. She couldn't see anything, the was just so much chaos. She struggled to think, trying to figure out what had just happened.

The room had flooded. Water had burst out of the device, along with something else... something purple. She hadn't been able to see what it had been, because in seconds, she'd been thrown off her feet by the massive wave of water. She couldn't see Felix or the others.

The device hadn't been absorbing the water... it had been holding it. How that was even possible was beyond Xion, but several week's worth of water had burst into the room the instant the device had been triggered. The huge cube was gone now, that much she could see.

She hoped everyone was alright.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of red break the surface of the water near her. Garet was okay, at least.

She swam towards the Mars Adept as well as she could, but the water was still moving. The missing wall on the other end from the battle earlier was draining the flood out of the room, but not very fast.

She reached Garet, and grabbed onto his shoulders.

"Where's Felix and Mia?" She shouted over the waterfall-like sound of the rushing water.

Garet shook his head.

The water continued to drain, until it was only about knee-high. Xion and Garet collapsed, gasping for air.

An inhuman shriek of pain drew her attention to the other side of the room. She spun around and saw the last thing she had expected to see.

A massive Behemoth Heartless. A purple, four-legged beast with a horn atop it's head. Normally this would be cause for alarm, but Xion quickly saw that the beast was incapacitated. A huge stone spire had piece it from below, severely wounding the beast and immobilizing it.

Felix stood at the base of the impaled monster, his sword at his side. Xion flinched as the shriek filled her ears again, but it wasn't the impaled Behemoth making that sound.

It was Felix.

The Venus Adept leaped into the air, landing on the Heartless' head. He savagely thrust his sword into it's head, ripping it back out and stabbing it again. He stabbed the beast again, until it's black eyes glazed over and it vanished in a poof of black smoke.

Not expecting the beast to vanish, Felix fell, bouncing off his stone spire and landing in the shallow water. He did not move.

"Felix!" Xion leaped to her feet and ran to him, water splashing at her feet. As she closed the distance between them, she saw him shakily climbing back to him feet. But what she saw after that stopped her in her tracks.

Mia. The blue-haired healer lay motionless in the shallow water, her blue hair floating on the surface. Aside from the tiny trickle of blood at the edge of her mouth, she appeared unharmed. But the look in her eyes was unmistakable.

Even in death, she was beautiful.

Felix wasn't standing. He wasn't able to, as his body was shaking fiercely. His gaze was locked on Mia's body. He wasn't crying. His initial anger had already worn off, having slain the beast that had killed her. Now he just looked... empty.

Garet slowly reached Xion's side. She turned to him. He looked just as bad as Felix. His bottom lip trembled, and his hands shook.

"No..." Garet said, barely more than a whisper. "It should have been me... I was supposed to go..."

Xion turned back to Mia's body, but it was gone. Felix hadn't moved. For a second Xion was confused, looking around to find her. Then she remembered. It was a Heartless that had killed her. People slain by Heartless didn't leave behind bodies, as she'd seen many times during her stay with the Organization.

Nobody moved or spoke. It was as though time was suspended. The water at before Felix was as still and untouched as he appeared to be. Until a single drop fell and sent ripples out. Whether it was water dripping from Felix's soaked hair, or a quietly shed tear, Xion would never know.

She didn't have a heart, at least not truly like Felix and Garet did. But she did have empathy enough to sense that they had been greatly struck by this. And Felix...

He had loved her.

Xion needed to do something. She couldn't just stand here, and watch this. She slowly went to Felix's side, and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" He screamed. He leaped to his feet, pushing Xion back. The small girl fell backwards, falling down and staring up at him. Garet didn't even react, just staring at the spot where Mia had been.

Felix stood there, watching her. And she sat there on the floor before him, staring back at him with her blue eyes. It was the same moment as before, when they'd first met. And yet, so much was different.

Felix's eyes went wide suddenly. He looked straight up at the balcony, where Garet and Mia had entered from the aerie.

"YOU!" Felix screamed.

Xion and Garet turned to see what Felix was screaming at. At the edge of the balcony, watching the entire scene, stood a man in a white cloak, wrapped in bandages.

"Alex..." Garet whispered.

The man turned and ran, disappearing from view. Felix grabbed his sword out of the water and ran after him, leaping up onto the balcony with a single jump.

"Felix!" Xion exclaimed, running after him. Garet simply stood there, not reacting to any of it. He just looked down.

"It should have been me."

 

Alex couldn't move very fast. He stumbled along, just barely keeping ahead of Felix.

"Get back here, you coward!" Felix roared.

Felix chased Alex through the same long hallway Luxord had appeared in. Alex stumbled along as fast as he could, but Felix was quickly gaining on him.

"I'm gonna kill you!"

Alex waved his hand casually as he ran. The floor below Felix instantly turned to ice. Felix slipped, and collapsed.

Alex waved his hand again, and Felix's feet were surrounded with ice, locking him in place. The Mercury Adept just continued running.

"You cowardly bastard!" Felix screamed as Alex vanished behind the corner.

Alex emerged outside the lighthouse, breathing heavily. He reached in his pocket, pulling out a bottle. He got down on one knee shakily next to the now-flowing water, and scooped some up in his bottle.

"There you are!" Felix said, emerging from the door. "I'm going to kill you slowly, you traitorous piece of filth!"

Alex waved his hand without even turning around. The shallow water Felix stood in exploded at his feet, sending him flying backwards.

With shaky hands, Alex lifted the bottle to his lips and drank. The water dripped down from his mouth, soaking the bandages covering his chin and neck. Alex emptied the bottle and dropped it, the healing energies of the lighthouse working quickly and effectively. He rose, the shaking gone, and stood up straight.

Felix, now back in the hallway, climbed back to his feet. "Mia is dead, you bastard! She was your cousin! Don't you even care?"

Alex responded by summoning a spear of ice. He threw the spear at Felix with deadly aim and accuracy, the blade penetrating Felix's shoulder. The Venus Adept groaned in pain and fell to his knees.

Alex removed his white hood, freeing his long blue hair. He grabbed the bandages around his hands and unwrapped them, exposing his now-healed flesh. He continued unwrapped himself, exposing his chest, neck, and finally his face.

His healed face was still as pale and handsome as before, but his right eye was gone, an empty socket where it had been. In addition to that, scars still covered the flesh around his missing eye, as well as his forehead.

"Damn." He muttered, inspecting the damage in his reflection in the water. "I was hoping the water would heal that. I suppose it's irreversible..."

Despite the ice spear in his shoulder, which was bleeding profusely, Felix struggled back to his feet. "Mia is dead!" He repeated. "And all you care about is your damn appearance!"

Alex turned back to him, a glare in his remaining eye. "I'm not in the mood for this, Felix. The only person I cared at all about is dead because of you, and I no longer have my right eye. Be glad I pity you."

"You? Pity me?" Felix spat. "I don't want your pity!"

Alex narrowed his eye. The ice spear in Felix's shoulder exploded, sending shrapnel and blood flying in every direction. Felix screaming in pain, clutching his shoulder. Blood ran down his side.

"I know you want to fight me, but you're too pathetic right now for it to be worth it." Alex said, his face a blank slate. "And I'm too angry. Clean yourself up, and come see me after I get back what's mine. Then we can do this for real."

Alex flashed white, and vanished.

Felix screamed in frustration. Rage filled every bone in his body. But he was also in extreme pain. He glanced at the flowing fountain, which would heal his wounds in seconds. The fountain Mia had died to bring back.

No. It wasn't fair for him to use that water, not when it was laced with Mia's blood. If he was too weak to kill Alex or save Mia, then it was best he just die out here in the cold.

The winds picked up. A snowstorm was coming.

Felix closed his eyes. He collapsed, dizzy from the blood-loss. He hadn't even been able to save Mia from the trap that Organization had put on their device. He was utterly useless.

He deserved to die alone in the cold.

 

Felix stood alone, on the edge of a massive abyss. His hair was undone, freed from it's usual ponytail. A bottle of cheap ale was in his hand, clenched tightly. His sword was unbuckled from his belt, lying in the grass beside him.

She'd left him. She'd left him when he had needed her most. He had nothing. His friends were gone. His parents had turned their backs on him. His villagers hated him, and had banished him from their company. His sister was too busy with a wedding and a pregnancy to care about him.

She had been the only reason he woke up every morning. The only thing he looked forward to throughout those long days at the edge of the chasm. The times they had spent together in his tiny tent had been some of the best in his memory. After everything he'd been through: the cold nights in Prox, the abuse from Saturos, the mask he had been forced to wear when he returned to his village, the kidnapping of his sister, the long journey...

He had been through so much. Endured so much... For what?

Nothing.

He had been happy with her. She had completed him. She had been the one ray of light in the otherwise black abyss that was his life.

The last thing she'd said to him...

"I never loved you, Felix. I only pitied you."

All that time... It had been an act.

But of course. It all made sense. She had simply been the healer that she was, caring for the pathetic, injured person who had found his way to her. That had been it all along. She'd only been a lover to him because he had been so deprived of love.

The very first time she had met him, years ago when Saturos had dragged his pathetic, half-dead ass along with them. She had bumped into him on his way to a warm bed and rest. He had looked awful, she'd said it herself.

She bought him that coffee because she had felt bad for him. Because she had pitied him. And every moment after that, even the awkward flirting and the kiss on the cheek when they had reunited on Piers' ship.

She had been caring for a weak, pathetic being.

And she had left because she simply could not take it anymore. How could he blame her? His life was so awful, who would want what he had? The whole time, she had just wanted to go home, and be done with him.

And now he had absolutely nothing.

He looked down at the endless abyss. It would be so easy to take that final step, to hurl himself into that chasm.

To end his pain.

He closed his eyes. He took a deep breath.

He began to step forward...

Something stopped him. A thought. A possibility. Something they had discussed before she had left him. They had made plans for it, but they had abandoned it before it got too far.

The chance that Alex still lived.

As an Adept, Alex could survive damage that would kill an ordinary human. And if he truly had absorbed the Golden Sun energy before Mt. Aleph collapsed, then he would be stronger then.

It had been Alex who had first contacted the Proxians five years ago, and told them about Alchemy and the other Lighthouses. It had been Alex who had urged them to raid Sol Sanctum four years ago, triggering the storm that got him involved. It had been Alex who had had suggested that they abduct Jenna one year ago, the act which had solidified Felix as a traitor in the minds of the people of Vale.

If it had not been for Alex, he would have grown up with his parents and sister in the village. He would have lived a normal life.

Everything that had happened to him was because of Alex. All his pain stemmed from Alex.

They had discussed ways to get into the chasm, to find Alex if he still lived. It hadn't gone far, but the basis was still there.

Felix stepped back. His life was not empty yet. It was close, but not fully there. There was still one thing left to do. He had to find the one who had caused all this, and bring him what he had coming. He could not die yet, it would not be right to let Alex go free.

Felix dropped the bottle and picked up his sword. He slowly slid the blade from its sheath, examining it's edge. The blade reflected the silver moonlight.

"Soon, I will wash this blade in his blood."

And then, he could finally embrace death himself.

 

"Felix!"

Xion raced to Felix, who was collapsed just outside the lighthouse in a pool of blood. She turned him over, instantly noticing the nasty wound in his shoulder. His face was pale, and his breathing was shallow. He was dying from blood-loss.

"Felix, you have to survive." She whispered to him. "You can't die, too. Not now..."

His eyelids fluttered. He took one quick glance at her, before closing his eyes again. She didn't know if he had actually seen her or not, but she did know one thing...

He was giving up.

"C'mon, Felix..." Xion pleaded. "Don't leave me now..." A single tear fell from her eye. Had she ever cried before?

He wasn't going to save himself. He couldn't do this on his own. She had to save him, just like she had saved him when they'd first met.

Xion glanced at the fountain. According to what Mia had told her, that water would heal any injury. But how would she get Felix to drink it? She didn't have any bottles, and she couldn't just dunk his head in the water. And even if she could offer it to him, he would just refuse it. She had to force him to drink it.

An idea came to her. It was crazy, but she didn't have any other choice.

Xion raced over to the fountain. She cupped her hands and filled them with the healing water. She drank from her hands, but she did not swallow the water.

Praying this would work, she ran back to Felix's side. Her heart was pounding with the thought of what she was about to do. She pinched Felix's nose and pressed her lips up against his.

Felix's eyes opened. Xion used her tongue to force his mouth open, and transferred the water from her mouth to his. His eyes went wide, and he struggled, trying to force her off him. With his mouth filled with the Hermes's Water, and his nose pinched shut, he could not breathe.

At last, realizing what she was doing, he swallowed the water. Xion released him and he sat up, coughing. Xion's pulse was running from what she had just done. She continued telling herself it hadn't been a kiss. It had been an emergency transfer of fluid. Somehow that didn't make it any better.

Despite her blush, Xion watched with satisfaction as the ghastly wound in Felix's shoulder stopped bleeding and closed itself. It was amazing how quickly it worked, and how well. Already, the wound was gone, only a thin, white scar remaining.

Felix stared at her for a second, a look between gratitude and contempt in his features. Then he closed his eyes and collapsed.

Xion panicked for a second, thinking he was still in danger, but after a quick inspection found he was okay. He was still missing a lot of blood, and would have to rest for a while to recover.

And he had more than physical wounds to recover from, she realized. Mia's death...

She sighed, half-lifting Felix and dragging him back inside the lighthouse where it was warm. Why had the Organization set up a machine to block the fountain here? Who was that man Felix had chased after? The man would have had to be powerful to have wounded Felix so severely. And what was the being that had possessed Luxord? How had it gotten it's hands on her keyblade, and where had it gone now?

So many unanswered questions. It made Xion's head hurt.

She set Felix down in the hallway and sat down, resting herself. She would have to go back to the center to find Garet and her katana. And then they could return to Imil.

Without Mia...

For whatever reason Xemnas had ordered that machine set up there, the Behemoth Heartless it had contained had been an obvious trap to take out anyone who disabled it. It was so like them, to use cheap tactics like that to get back at their enemies. And it had worked, robbing them of a skilled healer, and a wonderful person.

Xion stared at a small puddle of water across the room from her. It was strange, but the longer she stared, the more her head hurt. Why was her head hurting form focusing on a bit of water? It didn't make any sense...

Xion jumped in surprise. Something had just happened. And she'd just done it. It wasn't magic... It had come from her mind.

The puddle was now a small block of ice.


	12. Pinion

The Gray Area was even grayer than usual, Axel thought. With Xion gone, four members sent out to find her, and Roxas locked up, there was almost nobody around. Only he, Saix, and Xemnas remained in the castle. Xemnas kept to himself, as usual, and Saix had never really been one for conversation.

Due to the lack of members, missions had been put on hold. Axel was sent out every now and then to gather information, but without a working keyblade wielder, there was no point in anything but that. Xemnas wanted nothing more than to get Roxas back to work, Axel was sure, but the young Nobody would have none of it. After he overheard a conversation between Xemnas, Saix, and Xigbar about Xion, he'd turned suddenly and violently against the Organization. He tried to leave as well, and they had stopped him and locked him away in the basement.

Axel had visited him as much as he could, trying to talk some send into the boy. But it was like talking to a wall. Roxas was convinced that Axel was in on Xemnas' evil plans and had known about Xion all along. So Axel had stopped going, hurt with the thought that that he was mostly right.

Axel's only hopes now were Xion, and her quest. If any of the four members dispatched to Weyard found her... they'd drag her back and Xemnas would wipe her mind. He didn't know if he could live with himself if that happened.

All Xemnas cared about was having a working keyblade wielder. Whether that was Roxas or Xion, it mattered not to him.

He didn't know how Xemnas had found out where Xion was, or how he knew what she was up to. Axel certainly hadn't told anybody. He didn't even trust them enough to write it in his diary. He was certain they read them, so he left important things out now.

But Xion was all Xemnas focused on now. He brought everything the Organization was doing to a screeching halt, and sent as many members as he could afford after her. Axel wasn't sent. He suspected it was because their leader didn't trust him anymore. And with good reason.

Roxas probably only still lived because of Axel's relationship with Saix, and what influence he had over him. For all his stoicism and distrust, Axel knew how his former friend's mind worked. He had convinced them not to kill Roxas, in case they weren't able to get Xion back. Keep your options open, he'd said. If they couldn't get Xion back, Roxas was their last chance at a keyblade wielder.

Kingdom Hearts stood high in the sky, alone in the night sky. Axel stared at it and sighed. He wished he could believe this thing would give them hearts of their own, but he doubted so much now. So many members had died already, a few of them at his hand. They would never get their hearts.

It was strange for him to be the one silently watching the giant heart-shaped moon. That was usually Saix's job.

As if called by Axel's thoughts, the blue-haired Nobody entered the Gray Area, his footsteps alerting his presence to Axel. It couldn't have been anybody else. The only other person in the castle was Xemnas, and he never left his chambers.

"There's been contact." He announced.

Axel rose from the couch and turned to face Saix. As usual, his scarred face gave no indication of what was going through his head. Out of all of them, Saix was the Nobody truest to his emotionless nature. Axel could only hope his own face remained as stoic as the one before him. He couldn't help but fear for Xion.

"What happened?" He asked.

"The device in Mercury Lighthouse was triggered." Saix told him. "We haven't heard from Luxord yet, and he should have contacted us by now. You're to go there and find out what happened." Saix started to walk away.

"These orders come from Xemnas?" Axel asked, his arms crossed.

"Who else?" Saix responded, not even bothering to turn around. He passed through the hallway and vanished.

Axel's eyes lingered on the stop where his former friend had left. "Yeah." He muttered. "Who else..."

He turned back and glanced at the moon in the sky. Something about all this felt wrong. And not just the dark secrets he'd uncovered, or the loyalty issues he'd suffered through.

Something just felt wrong.

 

It was Xion who was forced to dig the grave. Felix vanished immediately after he'd woken up in Mia's house. Garet had gone straight to the bar after Xion retrieved him from the Lighthouse. She hadn't seen or heard from either of them since.

There was no body. Mia had been killed by a Heartless, and her heart had been ripped from her before she had died. Not the organ in her chest that pumped blood, but her spiritual heart. Xion had seen it a thousand times. There was never anything left behind.

The only thing that had remained in that room had been her mace. Mia's weapon. So Xion buried that. She didn't really understand how these things went, but she knew there had to be some kind of closure to this. The burial ritual... it was a sign of respect.

Mia's two apprentices, Justin and Megan had joined her for the burial. They had wept the entire time. Xion wanted to help them, to alleviate their pain. But she knew there was nothing she could so to lessen this burden on them, and all she could do to help them was just leave them be.

Afterward, Xion just roamed the streets. Confusion plagued her mind. She had never hated her apathetic state more than she did then. The Mercury Essence in her... she could feel it. It made things different, but it didn't give her a true heart, or true emotions.

She wished she knew where Felix was. She'd only known him for a month, but she had come to rely so heavily on his wisdom and strength. She wished she knew what to do for him.

She didn't understand how love worked, but she did know it had been there between Felix and Mia. Maybe not very strongly while she had known them, but it had been strong in the past. And for her to die so suddenly like that, how was someone to react to that? How did grief work?

Xion didn't understand how hearts worked. She had emotions, but they were weak and stunted. The most intense thing she ever felt was anger. Hatred, love, despair... these emotions were all beyond her. She had no doubt that if she had a heart, she would understand what was going through Felix's head. And how to help him.

A conversation she'd had with Felix nearly a month ago came back to her mind. She'd told him about the castle she'd explored with Roxas, the one with the beast-man who was protecting the girl. They'd loved each other. Was that how Felix had behaved around Mia when they were closest?

Felix had said that being in love meant you cared more about the other person than yourself. The Beast had been willing to risk his life to protect that Belle girl. Had Felix felt that way about Mia? Had he been able to, would he have thrown himself in front of the Behemoth to save her?

Would Xion have done so to save Roxas? Or Felix? She thought about it, but she honestly just didn't know the answer.

She wasn't a very good friend, she concluded. Felix gave so much for her, and what did she return? Loss and pain. If she hadn't been in Weyard, that machine wouldn't have been there. If she hadn't come to that tower, Luxord wouldn't have tried to kill them. All the pain that Felix and Garet felt now were because of her. And Mia wasn't even alive because of her. It all stemmed back to her.

Did Xion do anything but hurt the people close to her? First she'd been draining the life from Roxas just by being around him. Then she'd found out about Sora. Riku had all but begged her to help his friend. And her response had been to run away, like a selfish little child.

Xion stopped walking, realizing where she was. The town gateway. She looked up at the sky. The snow had stopped falling for the first time since she'd woken up there. Perhaps spring was approaching? How sadly ironic.

This was her opportunity. She could do something selfless for the right time. She couldn't go back to Sora, not after getting the first piece of her new body. But she could complete this mission without any more sacrifices.

She would finish this herself.

 

Garet stared at the foamy surface of the beer in his hands. What was this, his third? There were more than two empty mugs on the counter next to him. Maybe two dozen...? Whatever. He hated math.

He took another swing. What else did he hate? He hated the cold, but that was natural for a Mars Adept. How could anyone live in a frozen hell like Imil? Mercury Adepts were weird, enjoying cold places like this.

No, not that. Don't go there. Think about something else.

He hated gardens. That was because of his sister, always yelling at him for stepping on hers, or pushing rocks over it.

He hated maps. Stupid things, telling him where towns were and stuff. They never kept him from getting lost, anyway.

He hated math. Oh wait, he already did that one.

He hated... he didn't really hate much actually. He was the funny guy, who found humor in everything. The thought made him chuckle and he took another swing.

His cheap attempts at trying to be funny had gotten Mia killed. If he would have just gotten up off his lazy ass and fixed that machine himself, it would have been him and not her. Mia had been too good, too pure. She hadn't deserve to die.

"Bartender... what's taking so long. I'm drinking foam over here."

Funny. Yeah, he was real damn funny. Acting like he was less intelligent than he actually was to bring that precious laughter to his friends. He didn't like math, but that didn't mean he couldn't do it. All those times back when he and Isaac and Jenna had been studying with Kraden, and they had dozed off from boredom. How many times had he been the only one of the three of them to actually understand what Kraden had been saying?

No, he was the big funny guy. The dumb muscle. He couldn't be smart. He had to sit and be everyone's damn butt-monkey.

He missed Mia so much.

He knew a girl like her would have never gone for an idiot like him. No, she'd gone for the unfriendly introvert, Felix. The man who was more screwed up than a damn bed-frame. Those years in Prox had turned Felix into an ugly person. He was quiet, dark, and he thought in extremes. That was what Mia had looked for in a man. Not someone who would've appreciated her, like him.

Wait a minute. Him? Appreciate her? That was his best joke yet. It was because he'd taken her for granted that she was dead now.

He heard the door slam open, but he didn't think much of it. It wasn't until someone had their hands around the collar of his shirt that he realize they were there for him.

It was the little girl, Megan. She had grabbed Garet by the collar of his shirt and dragged him off the stool he was sitting on.

"It told you not to hurt her, you bastard!" The surprisingly-strong girl hissed in Garet's face. "I trusted you! And look what you've done! Get out of this town and don't come back!"

She threw him to the floor, and he simply lay there in his drunkenness. The only other person in the bar, the bartender, simply watched as Megan picked up Garet's half-finished drink and emptied it over his head.

"If I ever see you again, I'll kill you!" She said. She reached back and swung the glass mug down, shattering it over Garet's head.

"Ow!" Garet exclaimed. Megan spat on him and left.

The bartender simply watched all this, chuckling to himself and shaking his head. "Your mess, you clean it up. And you pay for the broken mug."

Garet simply lay sprawled on the floor of the bar, an utter mess. He reached up and touched his forehead, which ran with blood. He looked around for a napkin or something to stop the bleeding. There was nothing around, but he might have one in his pocket...

He stopped. The letter. The one he'd written for Jenna. He had forgotten to send it.

He shakily climbed to his feet. He had to get to Kalay. He couldn't leave Jenna in the dark. And Isaac... he needed to know what happened. There was so much... Felix... Mia. He couldn't just send a letter. He had to tell them himself. He stumbled towards the door.

"Hey! Clean your mess up!" The bartender yelled after him. Garet just ignored him. He stepped out the door, out into the cold streets. The snow had stopped falling, but that didn't make much of a difference to Garet. He fought to maintain his balance.

Down the street, Megan stopped and looked back. Garet could barely walk. Fresh blood seeped down the side of his face. Did he have a piece of glass stuck in his head?

Garet took a few steps, and collapsed. He just couldn't go on. It was too hard. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He didn't know what he was doing anymore. Why had he come up here in the first place? To yell at Mia for abandoning Felix? How could he have been so spiteful? The leaving had been harder on her than it had on Felix. She had just been better at hiding it.

At least she'd smiled... The only shred of goodness left in this twisted, awful day. At least she'd smiled...

Garet felt himself being pulled up. He didn't bother checking who it was. He didn't even care anymore.

"C'mon..." Megan said, struggling to pull his heavy body. "I can't drag you to the sanctum myself." As an Adept she was strong for her age, but Garet was a good two-hundred pounds of dead weight. He wasn't even trying to walk.

"It should have been me..." He sobbed. "It shoulda been me..."

Megan almost hated herself for attacking him. She had been selfish, she realized. Everyone was grieving here.

 

Felix wanted to cry. But he just couldn't. It was like he'd forgotten how.

He stood alone, at the edge of the fountain at the base of Mercury Lighthouse. The floor where Alex had beaten him was stained with his blood. He'd lost a lot, but things like that never stopped him. He felt dizzy, and he was sure he was pale, but he didn't care about those things. Being alone with his thoughts was far more important.

Felix was confused, but not because of Mia's death. He was confused as to why he'd lost to Alex. He'd been beaten by a man who was barely alive. Did his rage really blind him that much?

And he hated himself, now more than ever. While everyone else was mourning for Mia, he was contemplating his own selfish problems. He should be weeping, not forcing himself not to think about it.

Somewhere, in the back of his head was a little box. And in that box was years of repressed emotions. He'd forced himself to don the face of a statue, because that's what Saturos had wanted. A simple, obedient statue. He'd locked all his emotion away. Everything but his rage, which seeped through when he thought about killing Alex.

For how much he hated Saturos, he'd ended up just like him. A cold, vengeful man with a sword and more power than he knew how to use. That was probably why he hated himself so much. He'd become the thing he despised the most.

He hated himself for not caring that Mia was dead. He hated himself for only thinking about his revenge. He hated himself for not giving a damn where Garet and Xion were. He hated himself for not being strong enough to kill Alex. And he hated himself for hating himself.

Felix drew his sword and stared at the blade. He could end it right now, if he wanted to. It would be easy. He had nearly done it earlier, before Xion had saved him. What was the point of living when you had absolutely nothing?

In Prox, if a warrior failed to defeat their enemy, they were lower than scum. That's why Saturos had been so angry when Isaac's group had beaten him at Mercury Lighthouse. He'd never been beaten before. When a Proxian warrior failed in battle, they had two options to regain their honor. Revenge, or suicide. Should the warrior end his life, they would be remembered well.

But if Felix fell upon his blade, what honor would he regain? He'd get nothing. There was nobody there to help him, nobody to watch him redeem himself. Jenna wouldn't remember him a brave warrior. She'd remember him as her troubled older brother. She'd pity him.

He hated the pity worse than anything else. He almost couldn't bear traveling with Xion because of it. She was worse than Jenna.

How ironic. She was the one with no heart, and yet she cared for others tenfold more than he. What would she do now? Head to the other lighthouses, he figured. Finish getting her Essences, and get her new body. Whatever. She could do whatever she wanted. He had to go after Alex, and finish what he started.

Even is it killed him, he would bring Alex to his death. He had to. Just because he'd failed once, it didn't mean things had changed. The bastard was still loose, and Felix was still alive. The job could still be done.

Felix sheathed his blade. The job could still be done...

He had to think... Where would Alex go now? What was he after? He clearly didn't have the stone of sages, or healing a lost eye would have been child's play to him. So he would want to finish what he started.

Alex wasn't a swift traveler. He took his time, not hurrying. Felix couldn't count the times Alex had complained about the fast pace Saturos set, when he hadn't been mysteriously off doing his business. And he couldn't teleport, not like Felix's group had been able to towards the end of their quest. Alex's warp technique only took him as far as he could see, and it drained his Psynergy just doing that. And with the long, empty snow fields that rested in every direction, tracking wouldn't be a problem.

Felix took a few steps and nearly collapsed. The blood loss...

"Clever bastard..." Felix muttered, finally figuring it out. Alex had attacked him right next to the fountain with an attack specifically designed to bleed him out. So close to the fountain, that way his life was never in any danger. But there's no way to Psynergetically tend to massive blood loss.

Alex had set it up so that he would survive, but be slowed down by an injury he couldn't heal with Psynergy. The man really did think three moves ahead.

But Felix couldn't wait here in Imil. He had to leave quickly, before the trail went cold. If he didn't pick up Alex's trail, he would have no idea where he was headed.

Felix stumbled down the steps, back towards town. He had to get back soon anyway, before the sun went down.

He couldn't let Alex win now. He'd have to push through this.

 

Axel stepped out of the dark corridor, taking in the chaotic sight around him. There had definitely been a vicious battle in the center of Mercury Lighthouse. The first major change he spotted was the absence of the machine, a massive earthen spike where it had been. The next thing he saw was the blood stains on the walls, and the ankle-high flooding of the room. Something intense had happened here.

Please let Xion be alright.

Axel inspected the room more closely. He hadn't been around when the machine had been erected. That had been all Luxord's department, as it was his post. But he'd seen the sketches, and he'd seen those kind of machines in action before. And he knew what happened when someone without clearance tried to deactivate one.

Which had happened here, he noted grimly. He didn't need the machine's absence to know there had been death in that room.

He checked to see who had died, telling himself that he had to know. When a Nobody dies, they don't leave much behind. But there is a lingering presence, barely noticeable. Even among the strong Nobodies, it's existence wasn't well known. But as one who had seen a lot of death, Axel had pretty extensive knowledge on the subject.

And the assassin quickly found what he had been looking for. The faint residue of a dead Nobody. He located the spot where Luxord had died.

Studying the few details he had, he deduced the cause of death. Luxord's head had exploded, like someone had shoved a stick of dynamite in him mouth. Oddly enough, the rest of the body had been untouched before it had vanished. What could have done something like that? The Adept Xion was with? That Felix man had shown considerate strength when they'd fought, but to be able to do something like that...

No, it couldn't have been him. Xion wouldn't have traveled with him if he was that vicious. No human being could do that to another, Nobody or otherwise.

So if Luxord had died from the exploding head attack... who had triggered the machine's trap? It was specifically designed to take out whoever touched it.

The faint sound of splashing water, caused by slow, cautious movements. It was the first thing he noticed then.

He wasn't alone.

His chakrams were in his hands in an instant, and he spun around to swing. But the moment he saw his visitor, he stopped dead.

She was beautiful. Easily the most beautiful person Axel had seen in a long time. Appearance-wise, she was his polar opposite. A white robe to his black coat. Long blue hair to his spikey red. Deep blue eyes to his bright green. She stood on the other side of the room, simply watching him and saying nothing.

Who was she?

"Who are you?" He demanded, snapping back to attention. He couldn't let her beauty disarm him. She could still be an enemy.

She didn't respond. She simply shook her head.

Something about her gaze held him. There was nothing behind those eyes, yet they still had the faintest hint of life in them. It clicked for Axel in a single thought.

"You're the one who triggered the trap..." He said. "You were killed by the Heartless in the trap."

She didn't respond, but her eyes went to the stone spire that stood where the machine had been. More specifically, to a spot on the floor very close to it. Axel followed her gaze. He could see a crack in the floor there, almost hidden under the shallow water. A few drops of dried blood lingered on the wall behind it.

She had died right there.

He turned back to her. "You're a Nobody... You're like me."

Her silence remained unbroken. But the emptiness in her eyes gave her away. He'd seen that same look so many times. She was adjusting, just like they all did when they first changed. Adapting to the lack of a heart after having one for so long.

She was no threat. He sent his chakrams away, and started walking towards her. Her eyes were on the floor now, and she didn't move or give any indication that she was aware of his presence.

Axel reached her side. Up close, he could truly appreciate her beauty. As a Nobody, he didn't have the same feelings of physical attraction that Somebodies did. You needed a heart for that. But even a being with no heart could tell when a woman was a gorgeous as she was.

"What's your name?" He asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She didn't react. Her eyes remained glued to the floor. After a long pause, she answered him. "Mia."

"I'm Axel." He replied with a grin. "Commit it to memory."

She slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. "Why... why am I still alive?"

Axel bit his lip. He never enjoyed this part. It was so hard to explain to them what had happened.

"You should come with me." He said, offering his hand. "I'll explain everything when we get to the castle."

She stared at him, before turning back and glancing towards the exit. "But..."

"Listen to me, Mia." He said. "Your life before... it's over now. Mia is dead. You... you're not her. It's hard to explain, but you can't go back. Things are different now, you're not the same person Mia was."

She turned back to him, confusion in her beautiful features. After thinking it over, she slowly nodded.

"Don't worry." He reassured her. "Everything feels strange now, but I'll explain it all. But first we have to get out of here. It's not safe to linger here."

Axel summoned a dark corridor and sent her through. Before stepping through himself, he took one last look at the room. Had Xion and Felix done all this? What would they do to the other three members who were stationed at the other lighthouses? Would they simply kill them as well?

He took one final glance at the spot where Luxord had died. He knew now that his true purpose in being sent here hadn't been to inspect the machine or find out what had happened to Luxord. It had been to bring the girl back with him. Xemnas had planned the whole situation with the device as a way to get one of the Adepts killed by a Heartless. The Organization was losing members fast, and Xemnas no doubt wanted to replenish their numbers. That's why he'd done all this. Someone like Luxord was disposable. But a member who used to be an Adept? Of course Xemnas would seize that opportunity.

Sighing, Axel stepped through the corridor. He had lost faith in the cause a long time ago. Killing off innocent people to add new members? That was low, even for them.

If it weren't for Roxas' imprisonment, Axel would have done like Xion and left the Organization a while ago.


	13. Slipping Away

Felix was forced to rely upon a walking stick in order to make it back to Imil from the lighthouse. Never before in his life had he felt so weak as he did now. He couldn't help but wonder how long was it going to take him to recover from his blood loss.

As usual, the streets of Imil were next to empty. The sun would be setting in an hour or so, as it was nearing the horizon. Felix thought about Xion. He'd been gone for several hours, and he hadn't told her where he was going. She was probably worried about him.

Felix laboriously made his way towards Mia's house. He figured that was where Garet and Xion would be, unless they were out searching for him. Either way, it was where everyone was likely to meet up.

He passed through the streets, arriving at last at the front door. It was unlocked, just as they had left it. He stepped inside to find it empty. The others must have been out looking for him, he figured. Well, there was no use trying to find them. In his condition, the best he could do was wait for them there.

Felix quickly found the couch and collapsed on it. He was utterly exhausted. Alex's clever tactic had certainly done what he'd expected it to. Traveling under these conditions was going to be hell, but there was no chance that Felix was going to hang around in Imil while Alex was on the loose. He'd just have to push through.

While his body rested, his mind got to work. He needed to devise a plan, a way to defeat Alex. But before he could do that, he needed to figure out where Alex was going and what he was after. He knew little of the Mercury Adept's intentions or desires, though few did. The best he could do was track him, which would not be difficult in the snowy parts they were in. What was going to be difficult was keeping up with him. Alex was now back at full health. And the full extent of the abilities he had gained was still unknown to Felix. Either way, he was going to have to be more cautious next time they fought.

When Felix had attacked him back at the lighthouse, he'd been furious and full of grief. He couldn't let that happen anymore. His emotions were his biggest weakness. Anytime he let his heart run loose, he became weak. He needed to use his brain, and let his heart be apathetic. Emotion was a sign of weakness.

He sat back, trying to get comfortable. The minutes ticked by. He must have dozed off, because he woke with a start at the sound of the door closing. Garet turned as he entered the room, just then noticing he was there.

"Felix, there you are." He sighed. "I've been wondering where you went." Garet walked past him and went to the kitchen.

"I figured we would all meet here." Felix replied. He noticed a bandage around Garet's forehead. What had he been up to?

"Wish I would have thought that." Garet muttered as he made himself a glass of water. "I've just spent the last four hours wandering the streets looking for you two."

Four hours? Felix glanced at the window. It was dark outside. How long had he been asleep?

"Wait, 'you two'?" Felix said, glancing at Garet. "Xion wasn't with you?"

Garet faced him. "I thought she was with you."

Felix's face grew pale. He grabbed his walking stick and struggled to his feet.

"Wait…" Garet muttered. "If she wasn't with you, and she wasn't with me… then where has she been?"

Felix's heart was pounding. If she'd left the village…

As fast as he could move, Felix raced out the front door. Garet followed behind him.

"Felix, where do you think she went?" Garet asked him, concern clear upon his face.

"I don't know!" Felix growled. "Have you seen her at all today?"

Garet shook his head. "No. But I was with Megan earlier, and she said that Xion was with them when we first got back from the lighthouse."

Felix ground his feet in frustration. Where could she have gone…?

"The lighthouse!" Garet exclaimed. "Maybe that's where she went!"

"No, that's where I was." Felix muttered. He made his way towards the village gate. He could hear the sounds of monsters howling in the distance. How many hours had it been since the sun went down? How many hours had Xion been out there with those beasts?

"Felix, where are you going?" Garet exclaimed, following after him. "You can barely walk! You're in no shape to go after her now!"

Felix ignored him. Why would Xion have even left in the first place? After everything he'd told her about the wilderness, what would make her think she was fit to travel alone? She wasn't an Adept, and even if she could use Psynergy, the most skilled fighters around weren't tough enough to travel at night. The sheer numbers in which the monsters emerged would overwhelm even a team of powerful Adepts. It had nearly happened to both Felix and Isaac's groups several times, and they were among the most powerful warriors in Weyard.

"Felix!" Garet called to him. He was past the gate now, and outside the village. Despite his troubles walking, he was still moving so fast that Garet could barely keep up. "We don't know that she left the village! She might still be somewhere in town."

Felix stopped, and Garet reached his side. He pointed at the ground. There were two sets of footprints in the otherwise-freshly fallen snow, several yards apart from each other, that ran off into the distance.

"Alex… and Xion." He muttered grimly.

"I don't understand." Garet said. "Why would she even leave in the first place? You don't think she went after Alex, do you?"

Felix said nothing. He turned to Garet. "You go back to town. I was going to leave soon anyway. Rest up and leave in the morning. Go to Kalay, and tell them about Mia and Alex, and everything else that's happened. Tell them about the Organization. Tell them about Xion. I'm going to go after her. If I find her by tomorrow, I'll meet up with you on the way to Kalay."

"Are you sure about this?" Garet asked, hesitantly.

Felix nodded. "Our plan before we came here was to go to Venus Lighthouse next. If she's doing what I think she is, then that's where she'll be headed towards. I can catch her on the way."

Garet glanced back at Imil, and then at the long tracks leading deep into the darkness. "But what about the monsters? You're in terrible shape."

"I'll be fine." Felix told him. "I can still use Psynergy. Traveling at night is possible, you just have to be careful."

After a moment of hesitation, Garet finally nodded. "Fine. Just be careful. Jenna will kill me if you get killed."

Felix nodded in reply, and Garet ran back to Imil. Once he was gone, Felix glanced back at the two sets of footprints. One was Alex's, the other belonged to Xion. Luckily, he could tell which was which due to the size of the shoes that had made them.

He chuckled mirthlessly. How he'd chastised himself earlier for rushing after Alex due to his emotions. And here he was, about to travel at night while monsters roamed about because of his concern for Xion.

Or was it all just an excuse to get away from Garet so he could hunt Alex?

Felix shook his head. It didn't matter why he was out. The footprints both ran in the same direction: south. He was hunting both of them. He didn't have the strength to go after either of them, and yet here he was.

And with that thought he descended into the night, adding his own footprints to the ones he followed.

 

The room was gray, as was everything in it. The window next to her revealed a very strange castle that seemed to float in the clouds. That was where she was. That was where… that man had taken her. The man with the crazy red hair.

She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Her thoughts were a mess. Every time she tried to think of something, it seemed to just slip away. Her memories felt hazy and dream-like. It was hard to remember what had happened and what hadn't. She couldn't seem to properly remember anything from longer than a few hours ago.

The white dress she'd been wearing when she'd arrived was gone. She now wore the same black coat the red haired man had worn. What was his name again?

For that matter what was her name? It was… Mia, right? But the red-haired man had said she wasn't Mia. He'd said she was just a shell, just a piece of the person Mia had been. Did that mean she didn't have a soul anymore?

The door to her room opened up, and the red-haired man from before stepped inside.

"Hey, they're ready for you now." He said, scratching the back of his head.

She rose and stared at him. "I don't understand what's going on… who are you again?"

"Axel."

"Alex…?" She muttered. Didn't she used to know somebody with that name?

"No, it's Axel." He sighed. "C'mon, get it memorized."

"Oh…" She said, sitting back down on the bed. "Sorry."

"Hey, it's okay." Axel said. "The others are all zombies when they first arrive, too."

"Zombies…?" Weren't those monsters she'd fought before?

Axel scratched his head. "What's the matter? Can't you remember anything?"

She shook her head. "Everything seems to slip away the moment I try to think about it. Things feel familiar, but when I try to think…"

Axel glanced out into the hallway. "We should probably go now. He wants to see you."

She rose. "Who does?"

"Your new boss."

"Oh, okay…" She followed Axel out to the hallway. He led her down a bunch of passages she didn't seem to be able to memorize. What exactly was this place? And who were these people?

"What's our boss's name?" She asked Axel.

"Xemnas." He replied. Axel stopped and turned to her. "I don't understand why we're having the usual ceremony, as there's no one here. But here's the deal… we go to the room, you stand in the middle, and they take a gander at you. That's about it. Just don't say anything."

She nodded. "Where's this room at?"

"The Room Where Nothing Gathers." Axel said. "There's no door. We have to go there through a dark corridor."

"Uh… okay."

Axel summoned a black hole nearby. "Just step through, okay?"

She nodded, and did so.

On the other side, she found herself in a large round room. She stood in the center, surrounded by large chair of varying heights. Axel emerged from another portal, seated upon one of the chairs. Though there were thirteen chairs, only three had occupants. Aside from Axel, the other two were a man with light blue hair and an X-shaped scar across his face, as well as the man who sat directly across from where she stood.

This man was clearly the leader by his position. He had silvery hair, and bronze skin. His eyes were an eerie shade of gold.

As Xemnas stared down at her, his lips curled into a smile. Then he spoke a single word, which was to be her new name.

 

"Ixma."

 

She turned to face Axel, who was reclining in the seat behind her. They were now alone in the Gray Area, near the large glass window. She had been looking out at the strange heart-shaped moon in the sky when Axel had spoken.

"Yes?"

"How are you feeling?" He asked her. "I mean, you've been with us for about a week now, but you don't talk much. How are your memories holding up?"

She looked down at the floor. "I can't really remember anything from before. Just flashes and fragments of sentences. I can't even remember what my name used to be."

She turned back around to look at the heart-shaped moon. "I don't know what's going on anymore, so I just do whatever you guys tell me to. I can't remember anything, really. Is that normal, Axel?"

"Well… let's just say it isn't the first time I've seen it."

She turned back around. "What do you mean?"

"My friend had the same problem." Axel said with a sigh. "Before we lost touch, anyway."

"What happened to him?" She asked.

Axel scratched the back of his head, something she noticed he seemed to do a lot.

"I feel cramped up here." He said, blatantly changing the subject. "What do you say we go get some fresh air?"

"Where?" She asked.

Axel grinned. "I'll show you."

He led her away through a dark corridor. In a few minutes, Ixma found herself sitting next to Axel at the top of a large clock tower. The town before them was cast in the most beautiful shade of orange by the setting sun.

"Here ya go." Axel said, handing her a bar of blue ice cream. "Eat up before it melts."

She noticed Axel had a bar of his own. She looked at it for a second, then took a bite.

"Huh." She mused. "It's sweet, but also kinda salty."

Axel chuckled. "Yeah, I hear that a lot."

Then his expression changed. A more somber look crossed his features, and he looked out at the setting sun. "You know, I feel kind of guilty for bringing you here."

"Why is that?" She asked, taking another bite of the ice cream.

"This used to be our thing." Axel said. "Me and my buddies. They're both gone now. The thing is, I feel odd about inviting another person up here without them. It's like I violated out tradition."

Ixma rubbed her temples. "Aren't we Nobodies? I thought we weren't supposed to feel any emotions."

"And yet we do." Axel muttered. "But that's not the first thing they've told us that I've been doubting."

She gave him an intrigued look, but he said nothing more on the subject. They continued to enjoy their ice cream for a while in silence. Ixma's was nearly gone when Axel spoke again.

"I wonder what my friend would think of you." He muttered. "The Organization has only ever had two girls in it, and Larxene left right after he arrived. He's never even met you."

"Where is he?" She asked.

Axel hesitated for a moment. "In the basement of the castle. He turned against the Organization, so they locked him up."

Ixma was shocked. "Why would they do that! That seems so cruel!"

"He got pretty violent." Axel said, scratching his head. "He's a tough cookie, so they didn't really have a choice. It was crazy. It took four people to bring him down."

"But how can you be okay with that?" She exclaimed. "He's your friend! Don't you want to help him?"

"I do, but there's not really anything I can do." Axel sighed. "He rebelled. When he found out about…"

"About what?" Ixma urged him on.

Axel hesitated. "I shouldn't be telling you these things. We could both get in a lot of trouble."

"Screw that!" She exclaimed. "What's more important to you? The rules, or friendship?"

He stared at her for a moment, considering...

 

"Axel, we need to talk."

He turned back to face Saix, a little more than irritated. "Yeah, what is it?"

"It's about the girl, the new recruit."

"Ixma?" Axel asked. "What about her?"

Saix gave him a hard stare. "Keep a close eye on her. She was an Adept in her previous life. We don't fully understand what they're capable of, or what effects becoming a Nobody would have on them. We can already see that she can't create dark corridors. We need to know what other effects this has had on her."

Axel glanced across the room, where Ixma stood.

"If you don't understand them, then why would you have her changed to begin with?"

Saix glared at him. "That is Lord Xemnas' business. Not yours."

Axel returned the look. "She doesn't remember anything from before. Anything. But what would happen if those memories would return? How happy do you think she would be to find out she's been working for the very people that caused her death?"

"You had better not be planning anything." Saix warned him. "Don't forget who we have locked up in the basement. And don't forget how easily we could clear the space for you."

Axel's eyes went to the floor.

"And speaking of the boy." Saix said. "Keep her away from him. In fact, as far as she's concerned, Roxas doesn't exist."

Saix started to walk away.

"What are you afraid of?" Axel muttered to himself.

 

Axel wanted to tell her. He really did. He liked this girl, about as much as he liked Roxas and Xion. But he didn't want to put Roxas in danger.

He'd already broken the rules enough. He didn't care about the Organization anymore. He just wanted to help his friends. But what good could he do now? If he rebelled, Roxas was finished. If he stayed where he was, Xion could be caught by any of the three remaining members posted at the lighthouses. He was torn with indecision.

Ixma stared back at him.

He sighed. If only she knew how much he cared about his friends.

"We should head back soon." Axel said, resigned. Ixma sighed, her question having gone unanswered.

Axel opened up a dark corridor and they stepped through. The stick from Ixma's ice cream remained behind.

Once they were gone, a figure stepped out from around the corner. He reached down and picked up the small piece of wood. Lifting it up to his lips, he tasted the part where the ice cream had been.

"Who is this one now?" Riku wondered aloud.

 

Xion trudged through the deep snow. She felt cold. Colder than she had in a long time. Imil was far behind her, and she was headed deep into the frozen wilderness of northern Weyard.

She was traveling north. Her destination was Prox, the village that rested near Mars Lighthouse. Her and Felix's original plan had been to go south first, to Venus Lighthouse. Felix said this was to avoid the northern winter. But when Xion checked her map, she saw how much closer Mars Lighthouse was, and so she went north instead.

Not to mention it would throw Felix off her trail, should he follow her.

Xion didn't know much about Weyard. She had learned a few things here and there during the month or so that she had spent with Felix, but her knowledge of the world was far dwarfed by his. When Xion had chosen to leave Felix behind at Imil, she had done so because she felt she brought pain upon others. But there was another reason. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do it without Felix.

She had come to rely on the Venus Adept. He was strong, educated, and he had a will of iron. Though he had his troubles, Felix was one of the strongest people Xion had ever met. It had been easy to simply follow behind him and let him take charge on their journey to Mercury Lighthouse.

But this was her quest. Felix wasn't the one who had to go to the lighthouses and gather Essences. He had already made the trip. Felix had gone to those lengths simply to help her. He had given much more to her than he needed to.

Xion glanced over her shoulder at the long trail of footprints behind her. She really hoped Felix wouldn't follow her. He needed time to grieve. Mia had been a very important person to him. It wouldn't be easy for him to recover from losing her.

She sighed and continued on her way. Perhaps it had been a bit selfish of her to leave him so soon after his former lover had died. Maybe she could have helped him, comforted him in some way. Xion didn't have a heart, but she did understand a little of how one worked. When a Somebody suffers a loss like that, having friends close by usually helps. Garet would be there, but he would be mourning too.

Not for the first time, Xion wondered if she had made the right choice. Not just to carry on by herself after the events at Mercury Lighthouse, but in running from Sora and the others as well. It seemed like all she did was run anymore.

But one thing she did not do was run back. Once she made her decision, she would stick by it. She wasn't going to turn around and go back to Felix. She would do this on her own.

Xion glanced at the mountains in the distance. What she hadn't figured out was how she was going to climb over those. If it was cold where she was standing, she couldn't imagine how bad it would be at the top of those peaks.

With a start, Xion noticed something she had overlooked before. The sun was peering out from behind the distant cliffs, it's rays growing fainter by the minute. Soon it would be dark out, and monsters would emerge.

Realizing that she needed to find a secure area before the monsters emerged, Xion set out to do just that. She scoured the barren snowfield for a cave or something in which she could take shelter until morning. But the entire area was empty.

Xion took off at a run for the mountains in the distance. She would have better chances the closer to them she got. The minutes ticked by as she ran, and she began to grow very aware of the fading sunlight.

During her travel with Felix, he had always traveled carefully. He had always made sure that they were secure before night fell. The monsters weren't exactly dangerous to a trained fighter like Felix, but the vast numbers in which they would have emerged would have been too much for him to handle.

Light was getting precious. Xion estimated she had less than a half an hour before night fell. The mountains were drawing steadily closer, but it was not fast enough.

Cursing her own foolishness, she ran faster. She couldn't let something like this stop her now.

The first howl caught her attention. That was always the first signal, what Felix had warned her about. He'd said that the first howl indicated the monsters were emerging, and you were in serious trouble if you weren't somewhere secure by then.

Xion glanced around her. There was nothing but empty snowfield around her, broken only by the ocean far off to her right and a thick forest to her left. The mountains in the distance, with their promise of safe caves, had to be at least five miles from where she stood. The only area that had even the potential for safety had to be the forest, but that was were the monsters would come from.

Xion drew her katana as she noticed the first shapes emerge from the tree line. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but the monsters had caught sight. There was still considerable distance between the beasts and her. But she knew not to press her luck.

The monsters chased Xion for several minutes. She didn't have the luxury to look back at the creatures pursuing her, but one beast in particular caught her attention as it charged towards her faster than the others. It was a massive, bear-like creature with wicked claws. A mauler, if what she'd learned from Felix was true.

The mauler closed the distance frighteningly fast. Unable to run any longer, Xion turned to face the monster, which had stopped a few yards from where she stood. The moment she caught sight of it however, her pulse stopped.

The monster was massive, at least double her height. It's eyes were blood-red, and it's arms were as thick as tree trunks. Xion could have been the best swordsman in the world, and the beast would have still torn her to shreds. It was simply too huge and too powerful for a someone her size to fight against without supernatural weapons. Felix had been right to be so cautious.

The mauler roared, and Xion could smell rotting flesh on its breath. It didn't matter if there were any other monsters around. The crowd of smaller beasts hung back, afraid to get any closer to the obvious alpha male. They knew better than to interfere while it hunted.

Xion took a cautious step back. She was finished. There was no way she could take this thing. And even if she could somehow slay it, then she would have to deal with the small army that would move in once it was gone. She had one trick up her sleeve that might work, but if it failed then she would have even slimmer chances…

But it would seem that fate had other plans. Xion took another step back, and her foot connected with something. She couldn't explain how, but something in her mind connected with the ground at her feet.

Or not so much the ground, but the frozen river she had just stepped on. It was not visible, buried under several feet of snow, but somehow Xion was instantly aware of what it was.

The mauler continued towards her cautiously. The beast was clearly very experienced, as she could tell by the scars across its body. The monster was hesitating, as many of the humans it had fought before had been Adepts. It was smarter than it looked. It was sizing her up, trying to figure out if she had the elements on her side.

And as Xion cautiously backed away from the monster, she realized something. Maybe she did.

She couldn't explain how, but she could clearly sense the ice underneath her. She didn't exactly have time to mull it over, but it could have something to do with the Mercury Essence she carried inside her.

The mauler seemed to decide however, that she was no threat. It let loose a blood-curling roar, and charged towards her with its claws in the air.

It was time to roll the dice, Xion thought. She threw her katana at the beast, a move she had sometimes used back when she fought Heartless with her keyblade. The blade spun through the air towards the mauler, thrown with the accuracy of an experienced warrior. But the beast quickly reacted. It rolled to the side, the blade plunging in the monster's shoulder instead of its chest. Had it not moved, the attack would have been fatal.

The mauler roared in pain, Xion's katana sticking out of its now-bleeding arm. Though Xion had managed to wound the beast, she was now weaponless. She sorely missed the keyblade, which she could have merely summoned back into her hands after the throw.

Her opponent was now angry. Xion only had one chance now, and she prayed it would work. She focused on the ice at the mauler's feet, going through the motions she would when she would cast Blizzard. Pain quickly rose in her temples. She could definitely feel something...

She unleashed the energy. A tiny shard of ice burst out of the ground and bounced uselessly off the mauler's chest. The monster stopped, almost confused by the pathetic display.

Xion was shocked. That was it? Her head was pounding so badly, like it was on fire. How could so much effort have produced such a weak reaction?

The mauler took another step, to move in for the kill, but then something happened that neither of them expected. The ground began to shake.

From the spot where the tiny piece of ice Xion had lodged loose, cracks began to spilt from it. The cracks quickly spread, turning into fissures. The ice they had been standing on hadn't been a frozen river, Xion realized. It was simply a cover of ice over an abyss.

With Xion's katana still in its shoulder, the mauler plunged into the abyss as the ground below it vanished. The small army of monsters, noticing this chaos, turned and ran back towards the forest.

Xion ran. The fissures spread and the thin ice at her feet crumbled away. A massive chasm of darkness became visible, with its icy lid gone.

She didn't make it far. Xion slipped as the ground below her vanished before her feet. She reached out instinctively to grab the ledge, but it was gone before her fingers even brushed it.

Xion screamed as she plummeted into the abyss.


	14. Heresy

Jenna awoke in a cold sweat. Her hands were gripping the blankets, seized in subconscious panic. She was shaking violently.

She immediately took in her surroundings, a instinct learned by her two years of travel across Weyard. Though it was dark, she was quickly aware of where she was. The bedroom of her and Isaac's apartment in Kalay. Her fiancé was fast asleep beside her, his chest gently rising and falling. Nothing seemed to be amiss.

Jenna became aware of her dry and sore throat. She hesitantly rose to a standing position, which was rather difficult because she felt dizzy and her arms and legs were weak and shaky.

Side effects from the pregnancy, she figured. Conjuring a small psynergetic flame in her hands for illumination, Jenna made her way through the bedroom to the kitchen. There, she lit a lamp and prepared herself a glass of water.

After a drink and a few minutes of quiet rest in the living room, Jenna felt considerably better. Her hands went to the growing bump of her belly, thinking about the child developing inside. She wondered if it would be a boy or a girl.

She took a look at the window. Though it was still dark outside, the morning sun was just barely beginning to peak out from the eastern horizon. Jenna figured she would just wait for Isaac to wake up. She probably wouldn't be able to fall back asleep anyway.

And the thought of nightmares… did she even want to sleep? She could never remember them, but it wasn't the first night in recent memory she'd been troubled by them. Jenna wasn't the kind of person to have nightmares. Even after the incident with the boulder nearly five years ago, she'd only had unpleasant dreams for a few weeks before they had faded away. The grief had lasted longer than that, but the dark images went quickly. She had Isaac to thank for that. Without his support, it would have been far worse.

Best to focus on something else. She considered breakfast, but decided she wasn't hungry enough. Better to wait for Isaac and enjoy it with him. She decided to just relax on the couch and process her thoughts.

She missed Felix. She missed Garet and their other friends, as well. Though they at least had a stack of letters from most of them, and the wedding to look forward to. Even Kraden wrote. The only members of the group who hadn't been writing regularly were Felix and Mia. Garet had only left for Imil about three or so weeks ago, but she was eager to hear from him.

Some of the developments were rather interesting. Piers had sailed to Champa after dropping Sheba off in Lalivero, and he and Briggs were now sailing together. Sheba had spent some time with her adoptive family in Lalivero, but she'd recently went to Tolbi to visit Kraden. The girl had apparently taken a liking to adventure after being cooped up in the small desert town for so many years. Piers and Briggs, and Sheba and Kraden. Odd pairings, for sure.

Jenna hadn't heard anything from Mia since she'd left Felix, and she didn't really care either. Her opinion of the girl had dropped considerably after she had abandoned Jenna's brother. She didn't hate Mia, but she was more than comfortable with the silence.

But Felix… she wished she could hear from him. Every day that went by was torture. She wouldn't believe he was dead, but not hearing from him made things difficult.

Jenna sighed. If she wasn't pregnant and engaged, she would have just packed her things and went out to find him herself. Growing up was such a pain. So many responsibilities. She enjoyed some parts of it, namely Isaac's company and their child she bore, but she missed the freedom of her youth. The thrill of travel and adventure. She was almost envious of Sheba and the freedom she had.

She must have been more tired than she realized. Jenna found her head nodding and her eyes growing heavy. She passed out right there on the couch despite the golden sunlight now pouring through the window.

Jenna jumped awake at the sound of the front door bursting open. A man clad entirely in black leather stepped through. Strips of leather wrapped around almost his entire body, the only visible part of him being his eyes, which were yellow and slit like those of a cat.

Jenna rose to her feet, but her knees gave out underneath her. She collapsed on the ground, shaking violently. The leather-bound man stepped towards her with a dark, lustful intent. The only thing she could see were his boots.

"Get away from her, bastard!"

Isaac charged into the room wearing only his shorts, though his sword was in his hand. Isaac swung his blade at the leather man, who simply stepped back to avoid the swing as one avoids an insect.

The leather man casually reached out as Isaac swung his sword again, catching the blade dead in his gloved hand.

Jenna tried to climb to her feet, but her body was immobile. Every inch of her felt the way one feels when their leg falls asleep and seems prickled by many small needles. She could only watch helplessly as her fiancé fought this terrifying man.

With his free hand, the man in leather reached up and unclasped a buckle beneath his ear, freeing the strip of leather that covered his mouth. Isaac pulled back to free his blade from the man's grip, but his grip was as strong as an iron clasp.

The man in leather smiled an awful smile with his exposed lips. They were pale blue, like those of someone suffocating.

In horror and confusion, Jenna watched as the man in leather leaned forward and took the struggling Isaac in a forced kiss. Reacting the only way he could, Isaac let go of his sword and pushed the man back. He spat on the floor in disgust.

"You sick fucker!"

In response, the man in leather took Isaac's sword and plunged it into Isaac's chest. Jenna screamed.

The man in leather turned to Jenna and smiled again, one more awful than the last. His yellow cat-eyes offset his blue lips. He reached up and unclasped another buckle at his head, unwrapping the remaining leather around his head.

Though consumed with a mixture of grief, panic, and disgust, Jenna felt all but the last drain away as she beheld the man's revealed face. It was truly the most disgusting thing she had ever seen. His skin was decayed, like a corpse left out in the heat. He had hair, but it was thin and white. He had not eyebrows.

"…" The man in leather growled inhumanly. He then began to approach her.

Jenna wanted to scream, but her breath left her lungs. Her mind felt hazy. It was getting harder to form thoughts.

The man in leather took one step, two steps, three… He never got farther than four…

Four…

Five.

It was getting harder to think… who… who was the man dead on the floor…?

The man in leather was stopped at five steps. It would take ten for him to reach her. He was halfway there.

His smug grin remained. Usually it turned to anger by now, but today he was satisfied. He had gotten farther than he had before.

Jenna woke in a cold sweat. She was shaking. For a second, she was confused as to why she was on the couch, but the memories of her first awakening came back to her.

"Oh, you're up." Isaac said from the kitchen. "It didn't want to wake you. You looked so serene."

Serene…? Not quite. She'd been having nightmares again. She struggled to remember what she'd been dreaming about, but it was already gone.

Issac went to her and kissed her forehead. "How's the little one? Is he kicking yet? I hear they do that."

Jenna touched her belly, her worries about the nightmares fading with the return to reality. "No, no kicks yet."

 

As usual, Twilight Town was stuck in a state of perpetual dusk. The conflict between the orange sunlight and the heavy shade was strong. As Ixma emerged from a dark corridor in the empty marketplace, she looked around at the various shops and market stands, disappointed to find that they were all closed.

"Is anything here ever open?" She asked her companion once he joined her.

"Not when we arrive." Alex said as he stretched his shoulder. "The Organization always makes sure to send us when the streets are empty. I don't think I've ever been here when the market was open."

"Do you ever actually see anybody?" She asked.

"Not really." Axel told her. "Roxas and I would see this group of kids every now and then, but that's about it."

Ixma nodded. "So what's the job today? Recon again?"

Axel shrugged. "There's not much else to do. Without a Keyblade wielder, collecting hearts is a waste of time. They don't send us out much, but that's the only reason they really would."

Ixma wandered around the streets a bit, examining the different stores and stands. While she wandered, Axel reached in his pocket and looked over a slip of paper.

"Why do we have to do so much recon?" She asked him from afar. "Haven't you and the other members already checked out these worlds?"

"We have, but we have to keep our information up to date." He replied. "Things do change, you know."

"Oh, I see." She said. She turned around and noticed Axel reading the note. "What's that you're reading?"

"The mission details." Axel told her.

"On a piece of paper?" She said, confused. "What, did Saix leave that for you?"

Axel nodded.

"Well that's odd." She pointed out. "What's he doing that he's so busy he can't tell us in person?"

Axel shrugged. "Who knows what goes through his head?"

Ixma went back to Axel's side and read the paper over his shoulder. "It says we should split up, to cover more ground."

"And I'm wondering if that's the best idea." Axel muttered.

"Well, what's the worst that could happen?" Ixma asked him, clearly thrilled at the idea of doing a mission on her own. "And besides, if we get the mission done quickly, we'll have more time for ice cream."

"Yes, but don't forget about the Heartless." He reminded her. "Can you take care of yourself if they show up?"

"I have that ice magic I can do." She said, with a wave of her hand. "Even if I don't have a weapon, I can take care of myself. You worry too much, Spiky."

Axel sighed. "Alright, I guess. Just be careful. Meet me at the clock tower as soon as you're done."

She nodded, and gave Axel a big hug. "Thanks! You won't regret this, I promise!"

Axel watched her as she practically skipped away, her long blue hair trailing behind her. For someone who was supposed to have no emotions, she sure showed a lot of them…

 

Ixma had only been in Twilight Town a few times, so she quickly got lost. The area she found herself in resembled a park of some kind. It was large, and there were benches at the edges. Perhaps they played some kind of sport here?

She spotted something in the distance. A small, insect-like creature. It was solidly black, and it had glowing yellow eyes. A Shadow Heartless.

Ixma grinned. This would be her first Heartless kill. She cracked her knuckles and prepared her psynergy.

As she hurled small spears of ice at the Shadow, it turned and noticed her. It sank into the ground, and her psynergy stuck the ground uselessly.

The small creature emerged. Panicking, it ran past her. She chased after it, but stopped dead when she looked up.

A much larger, much more fearsome creature stood before her. This Heartless, while similar in color to the Shadow hiding behind it, was humanoid in shape. It's glowing eyes stared straight at Ixma.

She stepped back, but the Novashadow had already set it's sights on her. It went after her, the smaller Shadow following. Ixma ran, hurling ice psynergy as she fled. But her efforts were stopped when she spotted two additional Novashadows emerge at the alley she had been fleeing towards. Turning back to the first Novashadow, she also saw a small army of normal Shadows close behind.

"Where did so many of these come out of nowhere?" She exclaimed. The ice psynergy she cast barely scratched the Novashadow, but it eliminated masses of the Shadows behind it. Still, more appeared to take their place.

The two Novashadows from the alley had noticed her, and sank into the ground they way their kind did, quickly closing the distance between them.

"Look out!"

A figure emerged from the shadows, cutting down the approaching Novashadows in a single blow. Before Ixma could get a good look at him, her attention was forced back to the Novashadow behind her. She conjured a wall of ice to block its attacks.

The new arrival rushed past the block of ice and cut down the other Novashadow. Ixma blinked. This man had moved so fast she hadn't been able to follow him with her eyes. How could someone be so fast?

With the Heartless gone, the man stopped and turned to her. He wore the black coat of the Organization, but she was sure she had never seen him before. His hair was long and silvery-white, and he wore a black cloth to cover his eyes. Was he blind? His combat skills were amazing for a man who could not see.

"Who… are you?" She asked him. "Are you a member as well?"

"What do you think?" He replied without smiling. "And you're welcome."

Welcome…?

"Oh, the Heartless!" She realized, shaking her head. "Yes, thank you. Sorry, I'm usually more polite…"

"Are you?"

He sent away his blade before she could get a good look at it. He turned away from her, examining the sandlot around them despite the blindfold covering his eyes. Perhaps he was using a sense other than sight. Or maybe he could simply see through the cloth.

"My name is Ixma." She said.

"No, it's not." The man said.

She blinked. What did he just say?

"What do you know about me?" She demanded. "I think I would know my own name before some stranger."

"I would think so as well." He said, sitting down at one of the benches. "No, I'm not a member of the Organization."

"Then why do you wear our coat?" She asked.

"I have my reasons." He reached up and lifted the cloth from one of his eyes for a second, examining her. "You're very beautiful. But you'd look better in something else." He moved the blindfold back over his eye.

Ixma stood uncomfortably in the middle of the sandlot. "Who exactly are you?"

"I feel like I'm getting into a pattern here." He said with a sigh. "So I'll just come out with it. My name is Riku. The Organization is evil. They've been lying to you. My friend can't wake up without his memories. Castle Oblivion, Keyblades, Nobodies."

"W-what?"

Riku cracked a smile. "There's a lot of back-story, but we can't cover all that right now. Besides, I don't feel like explaining all this again. I already went through this with Xion already."

She took a few steps towards him. Her fists were unconsciously clenched. "They've been lying to me…?"

Riku nodded. "About Kingdom Hearts and all that. You don't need that to get your heart back. Xemnas just wants to use the power it contains."

"Kingdom Hearts…?" Ixma rubbed her temples, trying to make heads or tails of all this. "What is that?"

Now it was Riku's turn to look confused, if just for a second. "You don't… Wait, then what have they been using you for?"

"Using?"

Riku stood up. "Haven't they been sending you out on missions?"

She shook her head.

"I thought you were the…" He scratched his chin, thinking. "Can you use the Keyblade?"

"I don't even know what that is."

Riku sat back down. "You're not the replacement… Then what do they want with you?"

Ixma stepped closer to him. "If they've been lying to me, then are they the reason I can't remember anything? What should I do? How do I know I can trust you?"

Riku's head turned suddenly towards one of the staircases in the corners. He rose in alarm. "He's coming."

"Who?" She didn't see anyone.

"Axel. Listen to me," He said, demanding her attention. "Roxas is locked up somewhere in the castle."

"He is?"

"Yes." Riku continued quickly, glancing back at the stairway. "Find him and speak with him. He can tell you what you need to know. You'll see him locked up, so you'll know they've been lying to you. Don't tell them you met with me. Keep this to yourself. And don't arouse their suspicion. Will you do this for me?"

"I-I suppose."

"Find the truth." Riku said, and he turned and ran off, disappearing behind a corner as quickly as he'd arrived.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention. She turned to find Axel emerging from the exact staircase Riku had said he would.

"Hey, how are you coming along?" Axel asked. "No troubles with the Heartless, I hope?"

"No." She muttered, looking at her feet. The encounter with Riku had thrown everything in doubt. Who could she trust now?

"Oh, well. I got enough information to satisfy Saix." Axel said, scratching his head. "What do you say we head to the clock tower and see about that ice cream you were so excited about?"

She nodded slowly. Riku's words came back to her. Don't arouse their suspicion. She had to play things safe until she knew who she could trust.

Axel put his hand on her shoulder and led her to the clock tower. He was grinning, but the change in Ixma's attitude hadn't gone unnoticed by him. What had happened?

As they disappeared behind the corner, Riku watched as they left from a dark alley. Once they were gone, he summoned his blade and held it ready.

He had made contact with Ixma and planted the seeds of doubt. The first step of his plan was complete.

Next, to find Saix…

 

"…too badly. Check the bags, Kr…"

As she returned to consciousness, Xion's head was struck with a stabbing sharp pain and her entire body was aching and sore. She opened her eyes, but everything was so hazy and disjointed that she just closed them again. It was dark, wherever she was. Her vision was blurred and her head hurt when she tried to focus on anything.

"Hey, are you awake? What's taking so long…?"

Trying to focus on anything just hurt her head more. Someone was there, next to her. She could tell that enough. She didn't recognize the voice.

"Finally! Here, drink this. It'll help."

Xion felt cold glass being pressed to her lips, and a sour liquid pouring from it. Not considering any other possibility at the moment, she swallowed the drink.

She lay there for a few minutes while the first voice and another deeper one exchanged conversation she didn't hear well enough to understand. As the pain and confusion slowly faded away, she became dimly aware of her surroundings. It was extremely dark, and very cold. The only thing she could see as she opened her eyes was dim torchlight a few paces from where she lay.

She moaned as she slid to a seated position. Noticing this, someone ran to her side.

"Hey, you shouldn't try to move yet." A small girl said as she reached Xion. "You took a heck of a fall, or at least that's what we think happened. Tell you the truth, we aren't quite sure how you got down here."

Xion held her aching head, trying to remember what happened. The last thing she remembered was kissing Felix, strangely enough. But no, that had been to get him to drink the Hermes' Water, right? Then she'd left Imil… and gone north. North, instead of south like they'd planned. So he wouldn't follow her. And then night had fallen…

Xion looked over at the girl at her side. She was small, with a heart-shaped face surrounding by short blonde hair. She looked vaguely familiar, but Xion was sure she'd never heard that voice before.

"Yeah, so…" The girl muttered, unsure of what to say. "How are you feeling?"

"Uhh… better." Xion muttered. "Pain's going away."

"That's great." She girl said with a grin. "I'm Sheba. And that old fart behind me is Kraden."

The torchlight drew closer and she saw the man holding it was a bearded old man.

"Where… are we?" Xion asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Ancient ruins of the Anemos." The old man Kraden spoke, surprising her.

Ancient ruins? That's not what she had in mind. Ignoring the pain in her body, Xion slowly rose to her feet, with Sheba helped her. She examined her surroundings, as her eyes adjusting gradually to the darkness. The moonlit sky was visible above them, though the edges of her vision were blocked by the edges of the ice sheet she had fallen through. Xion was reminded of the chasm where Vale had been, when she had met Felix.

"This place was underground before." Kraden explained to her. "We spent days traveling through tunnels beneath the ice to find this place."

"We were inside the ruins, when we heard a sound like an earthquake." Sheba continued. "So we ran out here, and found the stars were visible."

"That was because of me." Xion muttered. "I accidentally caused the ice to crack when I was fighting a monster. Sorry."

"Sorry?" Sheba laughed. "Don't be! You've done us a huge favor. This is going to make getting out of here much easier."

Xion scratched her head, trying to remember where she'd seen this girl. The old man looked familiar, too. "You said there were ruins here?" She asked.

Kraden nodded. "Yes. An ancient underground city of the Anemos. It's rather hard to see from where we're standing now, due to the low amount of light, but if you'd like we'd be happy to show you…"

"Kraden, the girl just fell a couple hundred feet." Sheba told him. "I'm sure the last thing she cares about are those dusty old ruins."

Finding herself dizzy from looking up at the sky, Xion sat back down on the ground. Sheba and Kraden joined her.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Sheba asked.

"No, just dizzy." Xion replied. "Head hurts. And I feel tired, too."

"Well, it's no wonder considering what you went through." Sheba laughed, looking back up at the hole she'd fallen through.

"You might have a concussion." Kraden said. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three."

"Kraden, don't bother the poor girl." Sheba hissed. "If she does have a concussion, I'm sure Mia can take care of it when we go to Imil."

Imil…! "No, I don't want to go to Imil." Xion said suddenly.

"Why not?" Sheba asked.

"I just…" She didn't know what to say. Wait, did they know Mia? Should she tell them what happened?

Too much for now, she figured. Best to wait for a better time. These two seemed trustworthy enough, but Xion wanted to get a few things straight before anything else.

"Well, I'm sure you have your reasons." Sheba said with a smile. "So… do you have a name?"

She hadn't introduced herself yet? "My name's Xion."

"Nice to meet you, Xion." Sheba grinned. "I already told you this, but I'm Sheba and this is Kraden."

She nodded.

"So what to do now?" Sheba asked. "We were going to go to Imil after we explored the ruins. But since you don't want to go there, I'd be willing to give you a quick lift wherever you need. It'll have to wait until we're done though. Is that okay with you?"

Quick lift? "Uh… I guess."

Sheba beamed. "Great. It would probably be best if you came inside the ruins with us. That way, you don't have to wait outside in the cold."

Xion nodded. "Yeah, sure."

They rose and the two led Xion over the rough terrain. There wasn't much snow on the ground, but it was quickly building. It was dark and hard to see, due to both the night and the snow-fall, so Xion relied on Sheba's balance as they walked.

A large horizontal spire came into view, which Xion noticed had a large pool of blood around it. Looking up, she noticed the body of a large brown beast impaled through the chest.

"Oh, my sword!"

She broke from Sheba and ran to the dead mauler. Her katana was still stuck in the beast's shoulder. She grabbed the hilt and, after a few attempts, freed the blade from the beast, stumbling back as she did. Sheba caught her to prevent her from falling.

"You killed that thing?" The girl asked in awe of the large monster.

"I think the fall killed it." Xion said, wiping the blood off her blade on the mauler's fur. "But I guess I triggered that, so…"

"It's still impressive." Kraden said. "To even wound such a monster."

Xion returned her blade to its sheath. She winced as she took note of the very-pointy top of the spire, which emerged a good three feet from the penetrated mauler's chest.

"I'm just glad I didn't land on that." She said, pointing. The tip was covered in the monster's blood.

"Speaking of impressive, are you an Adept?" Sheba asked. "To kill a mauler and survive a fall like that. You'd have to be."

Xion shook her head. "I'm not."

Sheba raised her eyebrows. "Then you're one tough normal. Seriously though, good job. You sure you didn't get hit in the head with a Psynergy Stone?"

Xion shook her head. "No, I'm definitely not an Adept. But I'm guessing you two are."

Sheba grinned. "Just me."

A few minutes later, Xion found herself at the entrance of a large building built within the stone of the underground earth. The entrance was large and ornate, though dull and tarnished from wear over time.

"So when Kraden first passed through Imil, he heard about these ruins from a friend of ours." Sheba told her as they stepped through the gate. "He wanted to explore them right away, but he was pressed for time. There's a lot of back-story, but I'll just stick to the important stuff. They had to go quickly, so Kraden decided to come back and check this place out later. I wasn't around at that time, but this is what he tells me."

"True." Kraden said. "Could I not? These halls have been all but unexplored. An ancient city, built underground to hide from monsters. This must have been where they lived as they built the lighthouse."

Sheba chuckled. "You'll have to forgive Kraden. He's an alchemist. He get's all excited over this boring stuff."

As they stepped through the already-opened doors, Xion was surprised to find the long hallway brightly-lit by torches that extended down farther than she could see.

"How are all these torches lit?" She asked her new companions.

"An ancient lost trick." Kraden explained. "It's not uncommon in these old ruins. Fueled by Psynergy, no doubt. The ancients had a lot of tricks and tools that we have no access to in this day and age. And the release of Alchemy still has yet to yield any new discoveries, although it's only been a few months since the lighthouses have been lit."

"Kraden, I'm sure Xion here didn't survive that fall so she could be bored to death by your exposition." Sheba flashed her a grin, which she just couldn't help but return.

Their voices echoed in the small, long chamber as they walked, Sheba continuing her story.

"So here I was, with the teleport lapis and an itch for adventure. And here's Kraden, stuck in Tolbi with all these places he wants to explore. And I went to him one day and was like: why not?"

"Teleport Lapis?" Xion asked.

"Yeah, a psynergy-channeled item we picked up on our adventures." Sheba explained, showing her a strange blue stone she wore around her neck. "It let's me warp instantly to places I can picture in my head. In a nutshell, it lets me warp me and my friends anywhere in the world."

"That's pretty cool." Xion said. The idea of traveling instantly to places reminded her of the dark corridors she could no longer use.

"We thought about heading to Imil first, but Kraden said we simply had to come here." Sheba continued. "So we did, about two days ago. We spent the first two days traveling through tunnels. We had only just gotten through the front door when we heard the sound of the ice breaking, and rushed out."

"Sheba." Kraden said with a slight smile. "Perhaps you should not accuse me of boring our guest with exposition when you have done nothing for the past ten minutes but that."

"What!" Sheba exclaimed, turning on Kraden in mock anger.

Xion laughed. "No, really I don't mind." She enjoyed the playful atmosphere between these two. She tried not to think about having to tell them about Mia.

They emerged from the long hallway into a large, dome-shaped area. Lighting came from several hundred torches that lines the distant walls of the dome ceiling, as well as high street post-like torches at ground level. Many building structures were visible, with a large castle-like building at the far end. Many areas were overgrown with plants and ivy, grown through the bricks after centuries of neglect, though elsewhere untouched. The bricks of which it was built were not made of gold, though they had a golden texture that the bright lighting drew out.

But despite all this intriguing scenery, what immediately drew Xion's attention was the massive statue in the center of the city. A man upon a tall throne, not unlike the ones the Organization members sat upon, with a long flowing robe that reached the bottom of the throne. At the base of the throne were large unreadable runes, as well as several much small statues of men kissing the floor. The statue's head was noticeably gone, but the majestic nature of the image was not hindered.

"Who is that guy supposed to be?" Xion asked Kraden, pointing at the statue.

The scholar approached the large statue. As he drew near it, its size became truly noticeable, as Kraden did not even reach the bottom of the man's robe. Kraden reached the bottom of the statue, and inspected the large runes craved at its base.

"Lunos." Kraden told them in a clear voice. "He was the emperor… or perhaps god… of the Anemos. Funny, I've studied the Anemos extensively, and I've never heard of him."

"It doesn't say if he's their emperor or their god?" Sheba asked.

Kraden inspected the runes closer. "I'm not sure. There are several ways this could be translated. It's possible that he was both."

Sheba and Xion descended the steps and joined Kraden at the base of the statue. "How could someone be both?" Sheba asked him.

Kraden turned from the statue to face them. "If he was truly a tyrant, he may have forced his people to not only serve him, but to worship him as well. Although this all depends on whether or not I'm reading this right."

"Lunos…" Xion muttered. Hadn't she heard that name somewhere before?

Sheba stepped back from the statue so she could look up on it. "Not so tough now that he doesn't have a head."

Xion stepped back to where Sheba stood, also looking up at the statue. As she was thinking, something suddenly clicked.

Sheba was Felix's friend. She was one of the ones he'd traveled with for his adventure, as was Kraden. Lunos was the name Luxord had screamed as he'd died.

Xion fled from Imil north. She just happened to forget to find shelter, causing her to encounter the mauler, causing her to spontaneously attempt to use her new powers, causing her to crack the ice she just happened to wander over. This led to her running into two of Felix's friends, out in the middle of nowhere for no sensible reason other than to explore the ruins that just happened to be down there. Which led to her discovering a statue of the being that had possessed Luxord.

Not to mention her surviving a fall that, by all laws of physics, should have killed her. She had landed on frozen stone after falling at least two hundred feet. She should have died on impact, rather than suffer a minor aches and possibly a concussion that caused some convenient amnesia. And the encounter with the mauler? She should not have survived that, nor would she have if it had not impaled itself after it had fallen. It would have simply got up after landing and feasted on her unconscious corpse.

And she wouldn't have been there at all if she hadn't made the spontaneous decision to north to Prox instead of south to Tolbi as she had planned with Felix. In fact, she wouldn't have even met Felix if she hadn't felt the strange and unexplainable urge to go to the edge of the Vale Chasm in the first place.

What the hell was going on?

Something wasn't right. Things shouldn't have been happening like this. There were way too many coincidences, way more than to be pure chance. Something was happening.

Xion suddenly felt very exposed. She felt like someone was watching her, even though she saw no one when she looked around. She felt like some kind of invisible force was manipulating things. Lunos… was that what had possessed Luxord at the lighthouse?

Fear wasn't an emotion she was familiar with. A slight worry, perhaps. Occasionally anticipation or concern. But fear was one of the more advanced emotions, beyond those of her and the other Nobodies.

But now… she felt it.

 

Riku watched from as close as he could get, having to lift his blindfold to see through the dim streets and the heavy rainfall. It wasn't unusual for the streets of The World That Never Was to be empty, but today they felt especially bare.

He could just barely see Saix in the distance, just standing in the middle of the street. He had been standing there was at least two hours, not moving an inch or doing anything.

What was he waiting for?

His question was answered when a Nobody appeared. Not one of the Organization members, but one of the faceless white ones. It simply emerged out of the shadows, approaching Saix in it's unusual way of walking.

The Nobody stepped up to him and handed him an envelope. The Nobody then left, disappearing as quickly as it came.

Saix unfolded the envelope and read the letter. His stoic face gave no indication as to what it said. He simply read its contents, then crumbled them in his hand. Saix tossed the boll of paper in a distant garbage can and summoned a dark corridor, vanishing inside.

Once he was certain Saix was gone, Riku emerged and went to the garbage can. He quickly located the discarded envelope and carefully unfolded its contents. Written upon was only a single line of text.

Weyard. Kalay. Seven days. Tell no one else. Bring your weapon.

Riku stared at it for a moment. Interesting. It didn't surprise him that Saix had his own business, but he would have liked to know who it was with.

Riku crumbled to paper back up and tossed it in the garbage. Weyard… that was the world Xion had fled to. It looked like he was going to have to go there anyway, despite Namine's warning.

Once he got what he wanted out of Ixma and Roxas.

Riku turned a street corner, and vanished into the night.


	15. Terrible Lie

By the time Kalay was visible in the distance, Garet felt like collapsing right where he stood. He hadn't stopped in either Loho or Vault along the way, he being so determined to get to Kalay as quickly as possible. It had worked, but at the cost of his health. But he'd never let that stop him in the past.

Garet half-stumbled his way down the hill, then raced to the front gates. A pair of guards stopped him, but let him through once he explained who he was.

Kalay was just as lively and bustling as it always was, but now the streets were even more packed than before due to the immigrants from Vale. A few people recognized him and stopped to say hello, but he was able to search the streets without great impediment.

It didn't take him long to locate a head of spiky blonde hair that he could have recognized anywhere.

"Isaac! There you are!"

His friend turned to greet him, surprise and joy lifting his face. Garet pushed through the crowd to get to him.

"Garet!" Isaac exclaimed. "We were starting to worry about you! When did you get back? How was Imil?"

The grin dropped from Garet's face. Mia…

He decided he was only going to tell the story once. But it would probably be a better idea to wait.

"Mia was doing alright when I got there." He muttered. "Funny thing… I ran into Felix over there."

Isaac's eyes went wide. "He's… alive?"

Garet nodded. "Yeah, totally. We should go see Jenna and tell her."

"Of course." Isaac said. "I'll show you to our place. She's been a bit sad lately, so this should cheer her up. You being back, and finding out her brother is still alive…"

Isaac stopped, scratching his chin. "But wait… what's Felix been up to all this time? Why would he go to Imil of all places?"

Garet sighed. "Trust me, a lot has happened. I'll explain it all when we get everyone together."

 

Jenna stood out in front of her house, waiting for Isaac to get back. They were going to have lunch with Ivan at the palace today, which she was looking forward to. If only she could clear her troubled mind.

The nightmares had only been getting worse. She still couldn't remember what happened in them, but occasionally flashes would pop in her head. A man whose face she couldn't remember… but she did remember there was something really wrong with him.

She rubbed her belly absent mindedly.

Though it would have been much more comfortable to just wait for Isaac in the house, she just couldn't stand to be alone. It was better to wait in front of her door as crowds of people passed her by than to sit alone in her living room.

"Ah, Jenna. It's been awhile."

She turned to find the old woman, Jasmine. The friendly, but unnerving lady had no walking stick, and today her hood was down. Her hair was blowing freely in the wind.

Jenna blinked. Her recollection of her last meeting with the old woman was hazy… but she remembered more gray hair. And less red.

It was strange, but it seemed like the woman was getting younger.

Jasmine smiled. "Where's your boyfriend at today?"

"Fiancé." Jenna corrected. "And he's off to see the elders from Vale."

"Ah." Jasmine said. "Those old bags of hot air. A bit reluctant to give up their power now that they're in a new city, huh?"

Jenna simply grunted in reply. An awkward silence settled between them. Jenna was waiting for the old woman to move along, but she didn't budge. She simply stood there next to the young Adept, smiling. The crowd of people passing them by seemed to fail to notice either of them.

Just like at the party.

Finally, it got on Jenna's nerves. "Look, don't you have somewhere better to be?"

"And what place would be better than right here with you?" Jasmine laughed. "No, I'm not busy. And besides, you looked like you could use the company."

Jenna sighed. Admittedly, she had been feeling lonely. But this weird old woman wasn't exactly the company she had been hoping for.

"Look, I appreciate your efforts to be friendly." Jenna said, trying to remain friendly. "But I want to know who you are, and why you keep bothering me."

The smile faded from Jasmine's face. "Well I want to know why you can't simply accept my advice. Something is clearly wrong. You're pregnant and engaged, yet I never see a smile on that pretty face of yours. It's a tragedy, really."

"I don't think it's any of your business." Jenna said, meaning it be the end of the conversation. But the old woman wasn't going to have that.

"I wonder." Jasmine said, the gentle smile returning to her face. "Are you marrying Isaac because you love him, or because he just knocked you up?"

Jenna saw red. She turned furiously on the old woman. "How dare you! You have no right to say something like that! Why do you bother me? Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

A few pedestrians gave them odd looks, before continuing on their way as though obviously trying to ignore the heated argument.

Jasmine's smile was gone again. "You're right. A stranger doesn't have the right to wonder these things. But you do. You have the right to question the things happening in your life. Like your brother for example. If he did survive his fall, do you think he would try to contact you? Or do you think he would just run off with an underage girl, turning his back on his family and friends both? Tell me, Jenna."

Jenna's expression at her words were nothing short of disgusted.

"What have you done with my locket?" The old woman asked.

"I threw it out." Jenna said.

"Pity." Jasmine sighed. "It would have helped with the nightmares."

Jenna's heart stopped.

"What… what did you say…?"

"How close has he gotten now?" The old woman asked, her face twisted to an ugly grin. "If he reaches you… you do know what will happen."

"Jenna! Look who finally showed up!" Isaac's voice called from the other side of the street. She turned to see her fiancé pushing through the crowd of people with Garet close behind him.

Jasmine noticed them approaching, and took a few steps back when they reached her.

"Hey, Jen." Garet grinned. "Nice belly you got there."

"What were you doing waiting out here?" Isaac asked her. "You should be taking it easy in your condition."

Jenna glanced confusedly at Jasmine, who stood grinning against the wall. Neither Isaac or Garet had so much as glanced at the old woman.

"Run along now, doll." Jasmine chuckled. "You have a very important lunch today…"

The old woman disappeared in the back alley.

"Jenna, are you alright?" Isaac asked in concern.

She turned back to her fiancé, rubbing her aching temples. A dull headache had come out of nowhere.

"Uh… yeah." She muttered. "I'm fine."

"Geez, Jenna." Garet said. "I'm not asking for a parade in celebration of my return, but…"

She laughed and took Garet in a hug. "Of course I'm glad to see you. What happened while you were away?"

Garet scratched the back of his head. "Well, there's a lot that happened. But guess why I ran into?"

She shook her head.

"Felix!" Garet laughed. "Your brother's alive and well! He's been traveling with this girl named Xion, helping her out with some stuff. She's a bit young, but you should have seen those two. It was adorable."

Jenna suddenly found everything spinning. She grasped the wall she was leaning on to keep her balance.

If he did survive his fall, do you think he would try to contact you? Or do you think he would just run off with an underage girl…?

Something very strange was going on… how could the old woman have possibly known that?

"Jenna, are you okay?" Isaac asked, holding her arm in concern. "You're pale. Are you feeling well?"

She nodded. "Just pregnancy stuff, I guess." She smiled. "I got a little dizzy, that's all."

"I was going to bring Garet with us to our lunch with Ivan, so he could tell us all what happened." Isaac said. "But I'd rather wait for another day if you're not feeling well."

Jenna shook her head. "No, I feel fine. I want to know what happened." What happened to Felix…

Isaac sighed, but with a smile. "Okay. But if anything happens, we're heading home."

Isaac led them to the palace. The two boys spoke excitedly as they walked, with Isaac telling Garet about the move and Kalay.

But as usual, Jenna's mind was on other things.

 

Ivan stared at the imported bottle of Izumo sake in front of him. It wasn't his first. He'd been drinking to get his mind off of… what he'd seen.

The young Jupiter Adept wasn't the kind of person to drink when upset or bothered. He usually handled things with a calm, logical mind. But today…

He dreaded the arrival of Isaac and Jenna. When they got here, he'd have to tell them. He'd have to tell them what he'd seen.

Ivan took another drink. But the wait was even worse. Somehow knowing that he was the only person alive who had seen it… The only person who knew what was going to happen…

He glanced outside through the window. They'd be arriving soon. It was nearly noon.

Ivan took a deep breath. He was a nervous wreck, but he'd have to compose himself for their arrival. If they saw how he'd reacted, it would just make things worse. Not that being calm about it would help.

His sister Hama had never told him if the future could be changed. Foolishly, he'd never asked. Now, he wished more than anything that he could ask her.

Because if what he'd seen was unavoidable…

He didn't want to think about that.

 

She was just going through the motions at that point. She smiled when Axel handed her the ice cream. She laughed at his jokes, and kept up her end of the conversation. But her mind was elsewhere. She had spent the whole day thinking hard about what Riku had told her.

She struggled to remember something… anything about her life before. Who had she been before becoming a Nobody? It was all a haze. Even the early days of her stay with the Organization were a blur. It was so hard to focus even on the things that had happened.

But as far as the present went, her thoughts were on who she could trust. Xemnas and Saix… she was certain she couldn't trust them. The emptiness in their eyes was all the confirmation she needed to believe that they were after something besides her well-being. Axel… she wasn't so sure about. He seemed to care about his friends. But if he truly had no heart, then how could he possibly have any concern beyond cold logic? But when Axel spoke of his friends, Ixma couldn't miss the flash of regret in his eyes. But the thought that is was all a careful act had wedged itself in her mind.

She wasn't going to do anything until she spoke with Roxas, assuming he still remained in the castle. Riku had told her to find him first, to confirm the lies by speaking to him. And that's what she intended to do.

Axel sighed, tossing his ice cream stick over the edge of the clock tower. "Sometimes, I get tired of this routine." He said quietly.

She turned to him. "Then why not do something different?"

Axel shrugged. "What else is there to do? The Organization is all we have. I'm just bored out of my mind, sitting around all day. The only time we ever even leave the castle is for recon missions. At least it used to be more interesting when the others were around."

"Where are they now?" She asked him. Organization XIII… Thirteen members, but only three were around. Not counting herself.

"They're posted in this one world." Axel explained. "Four of them. It's been chaos, really. We lost about half our numbers well before you came, and then the others got sent off."

"Sent off for what?"

Axel grinned. "Can't tell you. The boss-man would chew me out if I did."

Her eyes went elsewhere. More information he couldn't share with her? She wanted to trust this man, but how could she when everything he did only supported Riku's claims?

In any case, she'd spent enough time here. It was time to go back and prepare for her plan. She rose to her feet. "I'm pretty tired. What do you say we head back now?"

She wasn't tired at all. She intended to wait until Axel and Saix had retired for the night, then search the lower levels for Roxas.

Axel nodded, a bit regretfully. "Yeah, let's RTC."

 

A few hours later, Ixma found herself moving through the corridors of the castle, avoiding the occasional Dusk she encountered. She wasn't quite sure where to look for this Roxas, but the prison cells were apparently in the lower levels, so that's where she was headed. She wasn't sure if it mattered whether of not the Dusks saw her, but she decided not to take any chances.

She made her way through the gray corridors, trying to navigate through the massive castle. Despite all the time she'd spent there, she still had no idea how to get around. Nor could she remember how long she'd been there to begin with. A week? Two?

It didn't make sense. Axel didn't seem to have any memory problems, so why did she?

Eventually, Ixma found the prison cells. And she immediately went to the only person inside. The figure's back was turned to her, but he looked up at the sound of her footsteps.

"Is it time to eat already?" He muttered.

The wall behind him was marked in lines carved in the wall, divided into fives. No doubt to count the days he'd spent there.

As Ixma drew near and Roxas turned to see her, she was surprised at how young he was. She'd expected someone older.

"Who are you?!" He jumped to his feet, his weapon appearing in his hand. A large key-shaped sword.

"My name is… Ixma." She said softly. Though according to Riku, that wasn't right.

"A new member?" Roxas asked. "What do you want with me?" He hadn't moved, but the key blade remained in his hand.

"I just came to talk to you." She said. "Riku sent me."

"I don't know who that is."

She scratched the back of her head. This wasn't really off to the best start. How should she ask him?

Might as well just come out with it. "Roxas… why did they lock you up?"

Roxas growled. "What did they send you here for? What do you want with me?"

"I'm just trying to figure things out…"

"You and me both." Roxas said. "Here's a hint. Don't trust them. The Organization. They're all liars."

So there is was. Confirmation. "E-even Axel?"

Roxas' eyes narrowed. "He's the biggest one."

Ixma backed away. Now what? Who could she trust?

Roxas' Keyblade was gone, but his arms were crossed and his eyes were cold. "Who exactly are you?"

Ixma shook her head. "I… don't know."

 

Riku leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. There was a smile across his features.

"What did you overhear?" Namine asked.

"The girl and Axel." Riku said. "They had ice cream again. Like they do every day, like he did with the others. But today was different. Axel let something slip."

"Which was?"

"The castle is almost empty." Riku told her. "Four members sent away to find Xion. With the girl's help, I think I can finally get to Sora's Nobody."

"And when you get to him…" Namine nearly whispered. "Riku, you're not going to…"

"Yes I am, Namine." Riku said. "DiZ is right. This has gone on long enough already. We don't have time to do this gently anymore."

Riku turned to gaze at the white pod which contained his sleeping friend.

"Sora will wake up. I'll make sure of it this time."

 

"It was Xion." Roxas explained to her from behind the bars. "She left the Organization. It was the second time she did so."

Ixma nodded.

"I tried to cover for her, but Xigbar caught her leaving." Roxas continued. "I was in trouble, but not as much as she was. They wanted to have her turned into a Dusk."

"They can do that?" Ixma asked.

Roxas nodded. "It's something she was really afraid of. Her worst fear, really. Which made it so much more than a punishment. And worst of all, they sent Axel to bring her back."

Roxas clenched his fists. "I tried to reason with him. I thought we were friends! But he cared more about following orders than he did us. He's a lying bastard. He had no problem with dragging Xion back to die."

Ixma was silent.

"But that's not what set me off." Roxas continued. "I overheard Xemnas meeting with Saix and Xigbar. And the things they were saying…"

Roxas stopped for a minute. Ixma couldn't tell for sure… but he seemed to be trying not to cry.

"They said she wasn't real." Roxas continued resolutely. "They said she was some kind of… replica. That she wasn't even a Nobody. And then Saix suggested that instead of turning her into a Dusk… they could just reprogram her."

She didn't know what to say to him. She had no further doubt that what Riku had told her was true. Whatever the Organization was after… it was bad.

"They need us because we have the Keyblade." Roxas explained to her. "After I flipped out, they locked me up here. So they sent the other members to find Xion. But they're still keeping me alive in here in case they can't find her. They have to have a Keyblade wielder. Otherwise, Kingdom Hearts can never be completed."

"What would happen if they complete it?" Ixma asked.

"They told me it would be to give us hearts of our own." Roxas muttered. "But after everything else they lied about… I doubt that's why."

Ixma rose and paced back and forth before the cell. "So what do we do now?"

"Can I trust you?" Roxas asked. "I don't know who I can trust anymore."

"I don't, either." Ixma sighed. "I think we're in the same position here. Neither of us have any answers. I think we can only trust each other."

"Then free me." Roxas said. "We'll leave. And we'll find Xion. Together, we can figure this out."

Ixma glanced at the door to the cell. Why she was hesitating, she wasn't sure.

"I'll free you," She said. "But we have to find Riku first. I think he knows more about what's going on."

Roxas said nothing. He merely nodded.

She reached forward. Her fingertips were an inch from the door when her heart stopped.

"That's enough."

Saix stood on the other end of the room, his arms crossed. His face was twisted in its usual scowl of disgust.

"If you open that door, you will not leave this room alive."

From the stairs behind Saix, Axel emerged slowly. His expression was unreadable.

"Insubordination is not tolerated." Saix said. "I'm only going to give you one chance to turn away from that traitor and return where you belong."

"C'mon, Ixma." Axel sighed. "It's not worth it."

She glanced at Roxas behind the bars. His eyes were glued to Axel. He was shaking. Fear? No… anticipation.

"I don't think you've been completely honest with me." She spat. Not to Saix, but to Axel.

Axel closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "Please. Don't."

"I'm going to give you five seconds-" Saix began.

Ixma moved instantly, grabbing the handle of the cell door and swinging it open. Roxas' Keyblade appeared in a flash of light and he leaped past her, swinging at the two members at the far end of the room. Axel jumped back to avoid the blow, but Saix merely extended his hand, grasping the giant key in mid-swing.

Saix's impassive gaze twisted to one of rage. With a flash of blue light, a massive sword appeared in his free hand. Roxas jumped back, raising his Keyblade for another strike. Saix swung his claymore in a heavy stroke, and the blades met with an audible clash.

The two Nobodies began an intense battle, leaping about the room in vicious swordplay. Axel looked over at Ixma for a split second before racing towards her.

Axel didn't get far, though. The floor below him turned to ice, and he slipped like a cartoon character, landing on his back.

Without a weapon, there wasn't much Ixma could do. With the fierce battle between Saix and Roxas getting more destructive by the second, Ixma ducked her head and made a beeline for the stairs. Behind her, the room was torn to pieces by the vicious battle between the Nobodies.

 

Ivan forced a smile as the Kalay palace door opened and his guests arrived. He did a double take though, when he saw Garet with them.

"Hey, Ivan." Garet grinned.

He hadn't seen Garet in his vision… perhaps things could be changed. He almost dared to hope.

He led them to the dining chambers. Adjusting the seating for four people instead of three was a quick process, and in minutes they were seated and eating. Or rather, two of them were.

Like Ivan, Jenna hardly touched her meal as Garet spoke between mouthfuls of food. He told them in great detail the things he had both learned and experienced during his trip to Kalay.

He told them about Felix and Xion, and the Organization she had come from. He told them about Luxord, the man who had blocked the flow of Hermes' Water in the lighthouse. And he told them about Alex's survival, and Felix's obsession with killing him.

Jenna's eyes grew noticeably heavy at that part. Though she was clearly happy to hear that her brother was still alive, it hurt her to find out he'd chosen to hunt down Alex without even writing to let her know he was okay.

And then Garet told them that the four of them had killed Luxord and unlocked the water. Ivan didn't fail to notice that Garet got much less descriptive at that part of the story.

"And then Xion left." Garet concluded. "We weren't sure why. Felix went after her, but he said he'd meet up with me on the road once he'd found her."

"Which clearly didn't happen." Isaac noted. "Why?"

Garet shrugged. "Maybe he hasn't found her yet. Or maybe he's still on his way. I do travel pretty fast on my own."

"And Mia stayed in Imil?" Isaac asked.

Garet hesitated for the briefest of seconds, but Ivan noticed. "Yeah."

Something had happed with Mia, Ivan figured. Garet was clearly hiding something about her. It didn't surprise him, though. After what had happened between Felix and her, they couldn't have been happy to see each other.

"Where did Alex go?" Jenna asked.

"I dunno." Garet said. "He spoke with Mia and I while Felix and Xion were away, then he vanished."

Alex had survived. But Ivan had already known that.

"Hopefully Felix will catch up with me soon." Garet said. "Then we can figure out what to do next. Xion said there might be more members of that Organization around."

"And this Organization…" Isaac said. "What are they after?"

Garet shook his head.

"Isaac." Ivan said quietly. "I have to speak with you. In private."

"Alright." Isaac replied. They rose and disappeared behind a corner.

Jenna sighed and looked at her plate. She couldn't eat a bite. So much was happening now… Felix, Alex, this Organization.

And Jasmine.

"Are you okay, Jenna?" Garet asked. "You seem pretty depressed."

"No, I'm okay." She said softly. "It's just… you now. Felix. I mean, doesn't he care about his family at all? After everything we went through to save our parents… And he just runs off with this Xion girl without a word? Why?"

Garet sighed. "I know. He seemed… different. He tried to hide it but… I've known him my whole life and he didn't fool me for one minute. He's got some heavy stuff on his mind."

"That doesn't justify him running off without a word like that. If he is on his way here, I'll have some words for him when he arrives."

 

Ivan led Isaac to one of the empty bedrooms and closed the door. He also locked it. He then turned to Isaac with a pale face.

"Ivan…" Isaac said nervously. "What's going on?"

"I had a vision." Ivan said. "I knew Alex was alive. I saw him in my vision."

"What happened…?"

Ivan was shaking. "It was… so horrible. I can't tell you. I just can't."

They didn't say anything for a moment. Isaac wasn't sure how to react to this. He'd never seen Ivan like this.

"I don't know…" Ivan said nervously. "I don't know if we can prevent it or not. But we have to try. It's good that Garet is here. He can help us. And if Felix is on his way… let's hope he is. We need as many of us as we can."

"Why?" Isaac demanded. "What are we trying to prevent?"

Ivan wiped his brow. "It's Alex. He's coming. And he…"

Ivan turned away. He couldn't face his friend as he said this.

"My vision… I saw Alex killing Jenna."

 

Felix opened his eyes.

He could see flowing water just before him. A river.

He grabbed his walking stick and rose on shaky feet. He was nearly there.

Kalay was visible in the distance. He'd been trying for it last night, but he must have collapsed as he drank from the river. He was lucky the monsters in the Kalay area were so weak. Under normal conditions, night travel was all but impossible.

He was nearly there, but every step he took was a journey of its own. Not because he was sick, but because of the guilt. He'd never thought the guilt could be so heavy.

The guilt of leaving Xion behind.

When he'd seen the tracks went in two different directions, he had been forced to make a choice. Go north after Xion, or south after Alex.

And he had chosen revenge over protecting the girl that had saved his life.

Every step he took was one farther away from where she was. That was why he had so much difficulty. The guilt was as heavy as a mountain.

Xion was probably dead by now, the meal of some monster. He forced that image into his mind. He would never let himself forget that.

He had failed her.


	16. The Gentle Hum of Anxiety

Felix's eyes slowly opened, the bright light streaming through a nearby window stinging his eyes. Despite the aching dryness in his throat, he felt more rested and comfortable than he had in weeks. His eyes gained focus, and he analyzed his surroundings. Felix quickly realized where he was, the artistic edge in the design of the walls giving it away at once. Hammet's palace. Which meant…

Felix was mildly surprised to find himself alone in the room. While he didn't particularly feel he deserved his friend's care after the things he'd done, he hadn't expected them not to be present. He would have wagered money on Jenna at least waiting by his side. Unless he'd been asleep for longer than he'd initially thought.

He rose from the warm bed a bit reluctantly, his interest in his situation overcoming any desire for comfort. The wave of dizziness that came to him was expected, his blood loss still affecting him, though it felt less overbearing than it had before. He didn't need a walking stick to get around anymore, but he still wasn't back to fighting form just yet.

Felix found his normal green clothes absent, someone having changed him into a fresh change of plain white sleeping garments. A brief search found his usual outfit freshly washed in the top drawer of a dresser, along with his sword and other gear. After quickly changing, he stepped outside.

Though Felix had only been to Kalay palace a single time in the past, he'd been in enough royal buildings to know the usual design down. He had no difficulty finding his way around. It didn't take him long to find three familiar people in the kitchen.

Isaac and Ivan were leaning on the end of the counter, quietly talking while Isaac sliced an apple. Garet was seemingly ignoring them, predictably stuffing his face with fried chips at a table on the other side of the room.

"…but tomorrow, Ivan." Isaac said quietly. "Even without Felix, we can't afford to wait any longer."

Ivan noticed Felix then, his eyes going wide.

"Never mind." Ivan said to Isaac, pointing at the new arrival. "He's up."

Isaac and Garet turned to notice Felix. Garet started clapping.

"You're finally awake!" Garet said, going to his side and handing him his bowl. "Here, have some chips. You must be starving."

Felix took the bowl from Garet. "Thanks, I am."

Isaac continued slicing his apple, not making eye contact with Felix. "About time you woke up. Jenna's been worried sick."

"How long was I out?" Felix asked as Garet guided him over to the table.

"Five days." Ivan said. "It's good that you're up. We have something rather serious to discuss." Isaac glanced at him for a brief instant.

"I told them all about the Organization and Xion and the lighthouse, just like you told me to." Garet told him, heading off to get himself more food. Felix noticed that he didn't include Mia in the list.

"Quite a story." Ivan remarked.

"Yeah." Isaac said. "You've certainly been busy, haven't you?"

Felix caught a vein of anger in Isaac's words.

"Where's Jenna?" Felix asked.

"She'll be back soon." Ivan replied. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you awake." By how flat his voice was, Ivan didn't seem to share the opinion.

Something felt off about the interaction, Felix decided. Despite his casual words, Ivan seemed even more withdrawn than usual, like he was forcing his interaction. Isaac seemed like he was trying very hard to ignore the fact that Felix was there. And Garet… he seemed to be his usual self, despite what they both knew had happened.

"Garet…" Felix said. "Did you tell them about Mia?"

Garet stopped dead in his tracks, but only for a moment. He then laughed. "What, about how she helped us fight that Luxord guy? Yeah, man. I told them." Garet then shot Felix a glare frighteningly uncharacteristic of himself before laughing again and returning to whatever he was doing.

So he hadn't told them… but why? Mia was there friend; they deserved to know what had happened to her. But Garet's reaction told him that now wasn't the time to bring it up.

Felix glanced at the two blondes. Ivan was tapping his foot and glancing at the door nervously like someone who owed him money was about to burst in. Isaac, having finished peeling his apple was now turning it over in his hands, his eyes glued to the piece of fruit like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Nobody said anything for a while. Felix, who was actually starving, finished off Garet's chips quietly. Garet returned to the table empty handed, like Felix having brought up Mia had robbed him of his appetite. It probably had.

After several painfully silent minutes, Garet turned to Felix. "Jenna should be back soon. What do you say we go meet her at the entrance?" The look in Garet's eyes told him that he really wanted to speak with Felix alone.

The Venus Adept nodded in reply and they rose and left the room, Isaac and Ivan saying nothing as they left.

Once outside, Felix turned to Garet to ask him why he hadn't told the others about Mia's death, but the Mars Adept stopped him before he could get a single word out.

"I didn't tell them about Mia." Garet said simply, once they were far enough from the door. "Now's not the time for that."

"What do you mean?" Felix asked.

Garet sighed. "I don't know what's been eating at everyone, but man, you'd have to be blind and deaf to miss the tension in that room."

Garet led Felix down the halls towards the front hall. "Everyone's been acting unlike themselves since I got back." He continued. "Isaac is pissed at you for leaving without telling Jenna, and the way he talks it's like he's out for your blood. I'd never seen him so angry. Ivan… I don't know what his deal is, but he's been all nervous and shifty. He barely talks to anyone but Isaac. And Jenna… I don't know if it's her pregnancy or what, but she's been really pale and quiet… not at all like herself. They've been like this from the moment I arrived."

Felix scratched the back of his head. "Any idea why?"

Garet shook his head. "All I know is that I've been forcing myself to act like everything's okay to cheer them up, serving as the usual comic relief, with limited success. After Mia's death… I'd be just like them if I took off the mask. I didn't tell them about Mia because it was the last thing the group needed. Could you imagine how low morale would drop if I told them what happened to her…? Things are already bad enough."

Felix nodded. It was near heartbreaking, to see his usually-cheerful friends reduced to his level. And it was partly his fault.

He closed his eyes, trying with all his might not to think about how he'd failed Xion.

They arrived at the front door and waited there silently. With his façade of light-heartedness gone, Garet was in a similar state to the others. Felix sighed and tried to find something else to stare at.

What was the point of all this? What were they even doing anymore? The Organization wasn't even their problem, lighting the Lighthouses had been. The only thing Felix had concerned himself with had been finding and killing Alex, but he'd failed to do even that.

Garet wasn't kidding, Felix thought. Morale really was low.

"We can't keep what happened a secret forever." Felix said. "Sooner or later they need to know."

Garet nodded silently. He hesitated for a moment.

"I almost don't want to ask… but I need to know." He turned to Felix. "What happened to Xion?"

The lump reappeared in Felix's throat at the mention of her name. His eyes found the floor, every bit of self-restrain the had forcing himself not to shed a tear. He couldn't answer with words… so he just shook his head.

Garet simply sighed. Not a sigh of irritation, but a sigh of resignation. A sigh of defeat. Though Felix didn't know if Xion still lived, her chances for survival had been slim to begin with. And after Felix had turned his back on her, choosing revenge instead of the chance to save her…

Let Garet take of Felix's silence whatever he would. Assuming Felix had found her dead was better than the truth.

For the first time in years, Felix shed a tear. The years in Prox had taught him that such emotion was a weakness, and thus he couldn't help but turn in shame as the single tear ran down his cheek. He didn't wipe it, but he let it run it's course until it fell from his chin. It was a mark of his shame, and he deserved the pain it brought him. Never, in all his years had he felt such worthlessness as he did in that moment. But to Felix, to show emotion was weakness, and thus shame upon shame. And so, as he felt the released emotions threatened to spill forth, he buried them back under as he always did, returning to the cold and bleak emptiness of his forced apathy. He wiped the tear, erasing the brief reminder that he was still human under the cold, empty mask he'd adopted. Only once all traces of it were gone did he turn back to Garet.

They spent the remainder of their time in silence.

 

Felix shivered. He was cold. He'd never been colder in his entire life.

He was somewhere north of Vale, much farther from home than he'd ever been before. The strange people who had taken him said next to nothing to him and he'd sobbed softly through most of the journey. The three caravans had stopped a few minutes ago, and Felix had been thrown out into the snow by the blonde woman whom he'd been riding with.

The four warriors before him were talking amongst themselves. They occasionally glanced at him, a disgusted look on each of their faces. The only exception was the red-haired girl who had to be only a few years older than himself; her expression was more of pity.

Felix's parents were in another wagon, along with Isaac's father Kyle. Felix hadn't seen them since the scaly people had dragged them out of the river. Out of all of them, Felix had sustained the lightest injuries.

The tall man with the fierce red eyes turned briefly to Felix, then said something to the other three. They nodded, and left for their respective wagons.

The tall man turned to Felix and swiftly approached him. Out of nowhere, the man crouched down and delivered a crushing punch straight to Felix's stomach.

The young boy collapsed instantly from the blow, gasping for breath. The blue-scaled man kneeled down close to Felix, his blood-red eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Menardi tells me you've cried the entire way." The man practically spat. "That ends here. You have Venus Psynergy in you, which we will need in the future. So you will be trained as a warrior. But the northern wilds are not as forgiving as your comfortable green village. Here, such weakness will get you killed. And I will not have that happen to my Venus Adept. So from this moment on, tears earn you pain. Do you understand?"

"Y…yes…" Felix gasped in reply.

The man grabbed Felix by the collar of his shirt and lifted him roughly to his feet. "You're riding with me for the rest of the way. Get in the caravan and be silent. We have a lot of ground to cover, and I will not have you holding us back any more."

Felix wiped the half-frozen tears from his cheeks as he climbed in the lead caravan beside the tall man. He then realized with a start that the entire purpose of the stop had been because of his crying.

He closed his eyes, forcing the tears back for the rest of the journey.

 

After what truly felt like an eternity, Jenna at last stepped through the front door, her eyes going wide when she saw Felix waiting for her.

"Felix!" She dropped her bags and ran to his arms. "You're finally awake!"

"Yeah." Felix said, patting his sister on the back. "I'm awake."

Jenna stepped back, a grin on her face that threatened to betray everything Garet said earlier. "Well, that just made my day. Now…"

Without warning, Jenna slapped him across the face so hard he stumbled back.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" She demanded. "Just running off into the night like that! We had no idea if you were even alive or not! Half the villagers were saying you killed yourself! Do you stop, even for a moment, to think about your family? You know, the people you traveled across the entire world and fought hundreds of monsters to save! Would it have really hurt you to take five minutes to write a note for us at least?! Or to send a postcard? Anything to let us know you hadn't hurled yourself to your death! Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Felix paused for a moment, rubbing his chin. "Well, at least you haven't changed, sis."

"That's all you have to say?!"

Felix shrugged. "I could tell you everything that happened, but I still think you'll be upset when I'm done."

Jenna sighed, exasperated. "Just don't think you're off the hook. I'm still mad at you."

After watching with an amused expression, Garet cleared his throat. "Hey, Jen."

"Hey, Garet."

"I think Isaac and Ivan are waiting for us. I'm gonna go on ahead while you two catch up or whatever."

They nodded, and the redhead vanished down the hall. Jenna turned back to Felix, a hard look in her eye.

"I take it you haven't been to see Mom and Dad yet, either?"

"I just woke up a few minutes ago."

"Oh." Jenna picked her bags back up and started down the hall after Garet. Felix followed close behind, noticing the bump in her stomach.

"How much longer?" He asked her, indicating her stomach.

"Four more months." Jenna told him, rubbing her belly.

"Have you decided on a name?"

"Aria if it's a girl." Jenna smiled. "Matthew if it's a boy."

Felix nodded. "You know… I never could have thought of myself as an uncle."

"What about a father?" Jenna asked him.

He stared at her.

"You are gonna settle down some day, right?" She asked. "You can't do this adventuring thing forever."

He'd never thought about the future like that. In fact, he'd never thought about the future at all past finding and killing Alex. His plan had been to just throw himself from a cliff once Alex was dead, but there was no chance he was going to tell Jenna that. Or anyone, for that matter.

Sometimes it hurt keeping so much to himself.

"I don't know." Felix sighed. "I don't think I'd make much of a father. And besides, who would want to marry me anyway?"

"You put yourself down too much, Felix." Jenna said. "You don't have to try to be so perfect all the time."

He just grunted. Jenna laughed.

"And cheer up, okay? Things aren't as terrible as they seem."

 

"I have terrible news." Ivan said, his hands jittering nervously. "I saw something… in a vision."

They were all gathered in the dining room, to hear what Ivan wanted to tell them. Felix sat beside his sister, with Isaac and Garet on her other side. Ivan stood on the other side of the table.

"What did you see?" Garet asked.

"I…" Ivan couldn't go on. He had to take several moments to compose himself.

"Perhaps I should tell them." Isaac offered. Ivan nodded and took a seat, shaking violently.

Felix glanced at his sister. Concern for Ivan was in her eyes, as well as a bit of worry. To get the young Jupiter Adept so upset…

Isaac rose and took Ivan's place. "Ivan won't give me the details of his vision, but he did tell me the important part. It's Alex. He's on his way."

Felix's attention was grabbed in an instant, but he avoided showing any reaction. Jenna's eyes went wide, and Garet hissed the name through his teeth.

"I don't really know how to approach the gently, so I'm just going to come right out and say it." His fists curled into tight balls, and his mouth a thin line. "He's coming here to kill Jenna."

Jenna gasped and Garet's jaw dropped. Felix showed no visible reaction, but his mind was reeling.

"But why?!" Garet demanded. "Why would Alex want to kill Jenna?"

Isaac turned to Ivan for an answer, but the young Jupiter Adept simply shook his head. Whether he did not know the answer, or did not want to say was something unsaid.

Felix turned his sister, to see how she was taking the revelation. Jenna's eyes were closed, and she was softly stroking her belly.

She was more concerned for her child than herself, Felix realized.

"Ivan." Garet said, meeting the prophet's unsteady gaze. "In your vision… did it show Alex attempting to kill Jenna… or succeeding?"

Ivan closed his eyes, a tear falling as he did so. "…succeeding."

Garet swore quietly. Isaac went to his fiancé's side, holding her and assuring her that everything was going to be okay. Felix rose and began pacing the room, deep in thought.

"Are these visions ever wrong?" Garet asked Ivan. "Is there anything we can do the prevent this from happening?"

"We're going to do everything we can." Isaac said. "Ivan and I have been devising a plan."

Ivan nodded in confirmation, seemingly drawing strength from Isaac's words. "Alex is going to arrive tomorrow." The young Jupiter Adept said. "Our plan is for Isaac and Jenna to flee through the underground tunnels beneath the palace while you, me and Felix hold him off in the city."

Five days had passed since Felix had collapsed in the forest, the Venus Adept thought. And Alex had been ahead of him… why was he arriving so much later than Felix had? Unless he had stopped somewhere else along the way…

"What about the citizens?" Garet asked. "The city is packed with all the immigrants from Vale. If there's a huge battle going on right in the middle of the town…"

"We have prepared for that." Ivan replied. "We've sent guards out into the town, informing the citizens to stay indoors tomorrow. As long as we can keep Alex in the town square, they should be fine."

"You told the citizens about this, but not me?" Jenna asked softly.

Isaac sighed. "We didn't want you to worry. Think about the baby. You've been so stressed out lately as it is…"

"It doesn't matter." Garet growled. "Because there's no way we're letting that bastard get to Jenna."

Garet thought back to his conversation with Alex back at the lighthouse, when he'd been vulnerable and nigh-defenseless. If only he'd known what the Mercury Adept had planned, he wouldn't have spared him then.

"Don't underestimate him." Felix warned, coming out of his reverie. "He was tough before he absorbed the Golden Sun. He almost killed me back at the lighthouse, and he hardly seemed to put any effort in it as it was."

"We can take him!" Garet exclaimed. "After everything we've fought, and all the monsters we beaten. Three of us should be able to handle him."

"And even if we can't stop him, by the time he gets to the palace Jenna and I will be far from here." Isaac added. "I don't care what reason he has for this, there's no way he's gonna lay a finger on Jenna."

"But perhaps that's the key to this." Felix mused. "What reason could Alex of all people possibly have to want to kill Jenna? It's not like him to assume the offensive like this; he usually manipulates things from behind the scenes. If anything, he seems to dislike combat altogether. Perhaps if we can figure out what he's after, we'll have an advantage."

"Like we haven't been racking our brains trying to figure that out already, Felix." Isaac glared. "It doesn't make any sense, but we don't have time to mull it over. We need to prepare for the attack."

Ivan nodded. "He's right, Felix. We need to start getting ready. We've wasted enough time as it is."

Felix looked over at his sister, who was holding Isaac's hand and speaking softly to him. Just a few moments ago, she'd been thrilled to see her brother again. Now her thoughts were with her fiancé and her unborn child. Perhaps that was best. Felix didn't deserve her attention.

But it still hurt him to see her upset. Though she was trying not to show it, it was clear in her eyes just how worried she was. Felix was worried about her. Try as hard as he might to distance himself from his friends and family, he couldn't stop loving his little sister.

And he couldn't stop hating Alex either.

He turned to Ivan. "Alright. We're going to cut this bastard to pieces. Tell me what you need me to do."

 

Saix stood at the edge of the building, impatiently waiting for his contact to arrive. He was practically soaked from the constant rainfall in the city, but neither that nor the tardiness of his contact were truly what had him in such a cross mood. The emotionless Nobody had a lot on his mind. When at last the blue-cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, Saix all but glared at him.

"You certainly take your time, caring not for the schedules of others." The Nobody spat.

His contact pulled back his hood, revealing long blue hair. His right eye was covered by white bandages, along with his forehead. This did little to diminish his beauty.

"It takes longer to get here now." Alex said with a smug smile. "Ever since your members came to Weyard, ordinary warping hasn't worked. I've had to go the long way."

"I can't imagine why that is." Saix said. "Though it would explain why we haven't heard from the others."

"Yes, the members posted at the lighthouses are more or less trapped there." Alex said, shrugging to show he didn't care. "But they were disposable, right? It's more a matter of getting them out of the way than retrieving your lost lamb now, isn't it? Now that you have my cousin's Nobody."

"I don't think that's any of your business." Saix spat.

"True." Alex said. "I've long since given up on caring about her. But tell me what I can do for you. You must have some good reason for contacting me. It's usually the other way around."

"Whatever debt Lord Xemnas owes you is going to have to wait." Saix said. "I cannot assist you in Kalay. The Organization has suffered an inconvenience that is going to take some time to recover from."

"What exactly?" Alex asked. "Please, spare no details."

Saix glared at the Adept, before deciding it would probably be best to just tell him if he wanted out of the obligation Alex sought. The Adept clearly had skilled ways of gathering information, so he'd probably just find out anyway.

Saix then told Alex what happened.

Six days ago…

 

Ixma raced up the stairs, gasping for breath as she fled from the battle downstairs. She reached a room filled with many pillars and stopped to lean against one to catch her breath.

If only she had a weapon, she wouldn't have had to flee. She could have helped Roxas fight Saix and Axel…

"Ixma!"

She spun around, stepping back as she saw who it was. Axel emerged from the staircase, holding his wounded side. He must have gotten caught in the crossfire between the other Nobodies.

"Stay away from me, Axel." She warned, backing away from him. Instinctively, she began summoning her ice magic.

Axel raised his free hand to show he meant to harm. "Please… Ixma. I don't want to fight you. I'm tired of fighting my friends."

"That's crap!" She spat. "You don't have any friends! You're an emotionless lying assassin! Riku told me everything! You've been manipulating me just you manipulated Roxas and Xion!"

"No…"

"Get away from me!" She released her magic, hurling a spear of ice at Axel, which he barely dodged.

"I'm not going to fight you." Axel pleaded with her. The wound in his side was bleeding through his fingers. "I've been doubting the Organization for a long time, but I've been too much of a coward to do anything. I couldn't turn on them, but I couldn't hurt my friends, either. They sent me after Xion, but I didn't bring her back…"

"Lies!" She shouted. "Everything you say is a lie!"

"That's right, Ixma. He's done nothing but lie to you."

She turned around to find Riku standing with his arms folded just a few paces behind her. The silver-haired boy strode past her and stared Axel down through his blindfold. "Remember me, from Castle Oblivion?"

"You!" Axel exclaimed, drawing his chakrams. "I should have figured you'd still be around!"

Riku sword appeared in his hand. "There's not going to be any escaping this time, Axel."

Axel gripped his chakrams, meeting Riku's gaze. The wound in his side was worse than Ixma had initially thought. Without the pressure of his hand, it bled freely.

"W-wait…" She muttered, unsure if she wanted them to fight.

"Ixma, just stand back." Riku said to her. "I'll take care of him."

"Yeah, and when he's done with me, he's gonna 'take care' of Roxas, too." Axel spat. "He's as bad as we've been! All he cares about is bringing his friend back! He'd have no problem killing all of us off to do so!"

Riku charged, swinging his sword. Axel raised his chakrams, blocking the blow.

"DiZ was right." Riku said to Axel. "You things really are freaks. Creatures without hearts shouldn't exist."

"Does that include Namine and Xion?" Axel demanded. "Or the one standing right behind you? They don't have hearts, either!"

"Don't even try to justify yourself to me." Riku said, pulling back and assuming a battle pose. "Not after all you've done."

Axel matched his stance. "Funny, I could say the same thing about you."

Their respective weapons clashed again and again, their battle taking them around the room. Axel winced, the wound in his side clearly causing him pain.

Ixma watched the duel unfold, desperately wanting to do something but having no idea what.

"You're not using any of your fire magic." Riku noted. "You're afraid of hurting the girl."

Axel glanced at Ixma for the briefest of moments, but it was enough. Riku drew his sword back and thrust it towards Axel's chest. The Nobody reacted as quickly as he could, his chakram catching the blade and twisting it away. Rather than pierce his chest, the blade sliced through the unwounded side of Axel's waist. Blood spilled out, staining the floor.

Axel held back a scream through clenched teeth. Twisting the blade out of his side, he delivered a kick to Riku's chest that sent the boy flying across the room.

The damage, however, was done. Axel dropped his chakrams and fell to his knees, clutching both sides of his waist. Blood ran down his arms, dripping on the white floor.

Riku rose to his feet and raised his sword. Blue energy began surrounding the blade, charging up an obviously powerful attack.

Unable to simply watch anymore, Ixma ran in Axel's direction.

"This will finish you." The young swordsman said. He swung his sword in a downward stroke, sending a massive blade of energy flying towards Axel. Ixma jumped in front of Axel and summoned her ice magic, creating a large half dome that shielded them from the attack. The energy blade struck the shield, shattering it. The energy broke as it collided with the shield, sending tiny blades of blue energy ricocheting across the room.

Riku dodged several of the smaller blades. Many of the other met the walls or ceiling, scarring up the room. Two of the pillars were slashed through at their base, causing them to tip over and fall. Many others were damaged.

Ixma held the wounded Axel in her arms. He was growing pale from the blood loss. Praying she wasn't making a mistake, she sent her energy to him, repairing the damaged tissue in his sides and closing the wounds.

Riku raised his sword and pointed it at Ixma. "What are you doing? Why are you healing him?"

She ignored him instead she looked Axel in his eyes, as the color returned to his face. "Axel, what's my name?"

He looked back at her, then closed his eyes. "Mia."

"Mia." She repeated. Yes… that felt right.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Mia." Axel said softly. "I think… Roxas and Xion made me feel companionship. But you… you woke something different in me. When I'm with you… I feel. I know I do."

"Axel…"

"Talk about Stockholm Syndrome." Riku sighed. "I guess DiZ was right again. You really are all the same. Fine!" He raised his sword and charged.

But before Riku could get anywhere near them, the floor exploded at his feet, sending him flying backwards. Roxas and Saix burst through from the floor beneath, both thrown by the force of some explosion. They landed on opposite sides of the room.

Roxas climbed to his feet first, looking like a something a cat dragged in. Saix followed him, in a similar state. Roxas noticed Riku climbing to his feet, and growled.

Mia stepped back as Axel rose as well. The four fighters stood at the compass ends of the room, glaring at one another as though trying to crush them with the force of their minds.

"I take it this string of betrayals extends to you as well, Axel?" Saix demanded, noticing the look Axel was giving him.

"It's been overdue." Axel replied, summoning his chakrams. "Consider this my resignation."

"I guess I'll just have to deal with all three of you right here." Riku said. "And then Sora and I can come back for your boss."

"I'm tired of being a plot device!" Roxas said. "Axel, Saix, and whoever this other guy is… you're all gonna taste my keyblade!"

They all charged at the same time, and a battle royale broke out. Chaos engulfed the room as the four fighters darted around faster than the eye could follow, fire and various other types of energy turning the formerly regal hall into a scarred battlefield in mere moments. Mia could only run to the farthest corner she could find and watch in awe.

It was like a giant orgy of combat. No two stayed together for very long, constantly switching partners and positions. First it was Axel versus Saix, and Roxas versus Riku. But half a minute later, Axel and Riku were glaring at each other over crossed weapons, while Roxas delivered a sound beating to Saix. In moments, Saix was charging at Riku, while Axel defending himself against Roxas' attack, clearly not wanting to hurt his old friend.

A few moments later Riku, Axel and Saix were locked in three-way combat on one side of the room, while Roxas stood on the other preparing some powerful attack. Roxas burst across the room, swinging his keyblade in a frenzy while pillars of light burst from his attacks in all directions. Riku's sword grew in length with an extension of energy, which met Roxas' intense attack. Axel threw an inferno in the mix, adding to the chaos while Saix's eyes went white and he leaped across the room screaming like a psychopath, tearing the hell out of anything he came across.

The four limit breaks met in unison, creating an explosion of pure white energy that threw all four combatants aside like tossed dolls. The energy spread through all the room, leaving slash-shaped scorch marks everywhere. Meanwhile, the fighters collided with the walls and hit the floor like dropped sacks of potatoes, each momentarily stunned by the sheer force of the attack.

A strange sense of peace settled over the room as they slowly climbed to their feet and tried to get their bearings. Axel was the first to rise, holding his aching head. His black coat was in shambles, and his spiky red hair was even more chaotic than usual. His stomach was turning.

"Oh, man…" He muttered, trying to keep his balance. "That was way too fast."

A soft moan caught Axel's attention. He turned around and his face paled at what he saw.

Roxas was the second to rise, noticing Axel lifting a fallen pillar on the other side of the room. When he noticed what was going on, all thoughts of combat dropped from his mind, and he raced to Axel's side.

Mia was cradled in Axel's arms, a trickle of blood running down the corner of her mouth. As Roxas reached the two, the pieces came together: the fallen pillar that Axel had moved… it had landed on her.

The blue haired girl reached for Axel's face, gently caressing his cheek. A single tear fell from Axel's eye and landed on her. She said his name softly, just before the life faded from her eyes. She then vanished in Axel's arms, leaving no trace that she was ever there.

"And there's your just deserts." Saix said from behind Roxas, his arms crossed and a cold glare in his eyes. "In all that chaos, you'll never know who caused that pillar to fall. The possibility that you were the one who killed her will haunt you until the day you die."

Axel clenched his fists, slowly turning around to face them. Tears ran down his face. Roxas said nothing, simply backing away from his former friend. Riku had risen as well, and he too had witnessed the event unfold.

"Axel…" Roxas began. He didn't know what to say. Axel had clearly cared for the girl. Those tears… those were real.

Saix summoned his claymore once more. "Come on. Let's finish this."

Axel stared straight at Saix, his eyes burning as fiercely as the fire he commanded. "I'll never forgive you."

"I don't care."

And then Axel screamed. A scream of rage, of pain, of despair. A scream of emotion. And as he screamed, fire rose all around him, engulfing the room in an inferno.

"I'll burn this whole damn place to the ground!"

 

"He didn't." Saix concluded. "But he certainly tried to. The other two, Roxas and that boy with the blindfold… they vanished in the chaos. Axel didn't care. He blamed the girl's death on me. He destroyed well more then half of the castle trying to kill me. Almost all the Nobodies… the dusks and such… they roasted alive. He trashed the meeting hall, the bedrooms… everything. Once his magic supply ran dry, Axel fled into the night."

"So Axel fell in love with my cousin and reacted with rage when he found out he couldn't have her." Alex laughed. "She tends to do that to people. What happened after that?"

"That's about it." Saix said. "I met with Lord Xemnas afterwards, and we're planning our next move."

"So Red-head burned down your house." Alex said. "Tragedy. Now tell me again why you won't be able to help me tomorrow?"

Saix glared at him. "Our base of operations is in shambles! Only Lord Xemnas and I remain at what's left of the castle, and we have no way of getting in contact with the three remaining members stationed in Weyard. Three traitors and that Riku boy are running free! We need to formulate a plan of recovery, rather than help you with your personal vendettas!"

"Your 'Lord' owes me a big favor." Alex said, waving off everything Saix said. "It's not my fault your Organization is so unorganized. But I'll tell you one thing: your boss would kiss my feet if I asked him to. He won't come to help me personally, because he has some weird problem with my home world, but he has no problem lending me you. Just because one of your members threw a hissy fit doesn't get you out of your obligations."

"That 'hissy fit' he threw almost cost us everything." Saix said coldly. "And don't you even care that the death that caused it all was that of your cousin?"

Alex laughed. "You of all people, preaching me about apathy? Now you're just getting desperate. I already told you I stopped caring about her a while back. Me lending her to Xemnas in the first place is part of the reason he owes me."

Saix sighed, exasperated. There way no way he was getting out of this. "Fine. You win."

"Good boy." Alex said, flashing a grin. "Now come along, X-face. We've got to get back to Weyard the long way by tomorrow. We have a date with destiny."

Saix's hand twitched. He wished he could summon his claymore and cut the Mercury Adept down right there. He absolutely hated the man. But Xemnas had explicitly told him to follow Alex's as though they were his own. It irked Saix, not knowing the details of their relationship, or what dirt Alex had on his boss, but he couldn't get out of this. He would just have to keep his mouth closed and do what Alex told him.

Following close behind Alex, Saix disappeared into the night, on his way to Weyard.


	17. The Way Out Is Through

The day of the battle came on a crisp and clear morning. The grass was still stained with dew, and birds chirped idly, as three of the Warriors of Vale silently marched out to the town square of the city of Kalay, weapons at their sides.

The three teenage warriors were solemn, but not dejected. At the head of their short procession walked Garet, who strode with a fierce look in his eye. He had earlier visited the palace armory, and traded his worn sword for a massive battleaxe, which was now strapped across his back.

Ivan followed behind him, his short blade sheathed at his waist. The young Jupiter Adept examined the closed windows and locked doors around him, satisfied that the people of Kalay had taken his warning to heart and had locked themselves in the safety of their homes today. The contents of his vision still troubled him, but he forced those thoughts away to focus on the coming battle.

At the back of the group was Felix, his face as expressionless as usual. But one look at his clenched fists revealed a barely-contained rage. Every ounce of protective brother in Felix's body was met with every ounce of hatred he already had for the Mercury Adept they were to fight today. Together these two intense forces met to form a single, unfathomably fierce, burning murderous urge.

The three Adepts found their spots in the town square, and stood there as still as statues. Several curtains were drawn back as civilians peaked out from the safety of their homes. All they saw for now were three teenagers, each with enough power to level a small town, awaiting the arrival of a man who may have become a demigod.

Garet unbuckled his new axe and examined it's sharp edge. He broke the tense silence by speaking first. "This weapon I'm holding right here… is going to separate Alex's head from his shoulders. This I promise you."

Felix said nothing. Though he was the one who shared Jenna's blood, Garet considered her family as much as he did Kay or Aaron. It didn't surprise him that Garet was taking this so personally. But Alex's death would be at Felix's hands. He had sworn it months ago.

Ivan sighed. "Let's hope it ends that quickly. We have to avoid things getting too chaotic, or townspeople might be injured."

"You're really worried about them, huh?" Garet inquired, as he placed his axe back in it's holder.

"I have to be." Ivan said. "One day, it'll be my responsibility to take care of them. It already is, in a way. Once Master Hammet dies or decides to retire, it'll be up to me to make sure things like this don't happen."

Felix noticed the way Ivan spoke, as though he regretted not preventing the battle ahead of time. The boy already blamed himself for the battle ending up in the crowded city he was nearly in charge of. If he had foreseen the event sooner, no doubt he would have taken steps to move the location somewhere less civilized.

The Warriors of Vale in name only. Felix's eyes were upon the ground. They had all made their mistakes, himself especially. Young Ivan was trying his hardest not to focus on how easily civilians could be injured - even killed - in the cramped city. He had considered an evacuation, but there were simply too many people to move, with all the refugees from Vale. Too many children, too many elderly.

Perhaps Alex would use that to his advantage.

In any case, there was nothing Ivan could do but put it out of his mind and fight conservatively. Felix himself seemed to be making a habit out of the same thing. Xion and Mia, both of whom plagued his conscious, had to be forced to the back of his mind if expected to be of any use today.

"We have a visitor." Garet said suddenly, pointing.

It was not Alex approaching them, but rather a familiar-looking old man. He strode forward in a fine robe, a gut forced back by a tight belt and a receding hairline hidden by a distasteful hat. Felix and Garet both recognized him at once. It was one of the elders from Vale.

"I thought I recognized you, Felix!" The old man exclaimed, shaking his finger at the Venus Adept. "Whatever do you think you're doing here?"

The three Adepts simply stared at him.

"If I don't recall, we banished you from the Aleph Tribe." The Elder lectured angrily. "Wherever we go, you are forbidden to follow. We will not have a thief like you clinging to us like some kind of parasite while we struggle to establish a new life here!"

Ivan's eyes narrowed. "Elder, I believe you have a rather twisted view of things. First of all, Felix saved the planet by stealing the Elemental Stars and relighting the beacons."

"They didn't have to steal them!" The old man said, shaking his finger as though speaking to a small child. "They could have simply explained what was happening-"

"They tried that!" Ivan cut in sharply. "But you fools didn't listen. Secondly, you have no jurisdiction here in Kalay. It is not up to you to decide who can be here and who cannot. Thirdly, if anyone's a parasite, it's you. You aren't struggling to establish anything - the people of Kalay accepted you and the other Valeans with open arms."

The Elder's eye were bulging, as though he was shocked someone like Ivan would speak to him like that.

"And fourthly… didn't you get the memo? Do you have no idea what's going to happen today? Why would you even leave your house?"

The Elder simply stared at Ivan, caught between confusion and outrage. Apparently, he hadn't gotten the memo.

"You should show Felix a little respect-" Ivan began, before being cut off by Felix's raised hand. The Venus Adept turned and stared straight at the Elder.

"You know what I did two weeks ago?" Felix asked the Elder in a low voice.

Stricken by the sudden mood change, he simply shook his head.

"I fought someone." Felix told him. "A man, possessed by some kind of demonic creature. A man already strong enough to crush boulders with his bare hands was warped into a hideous aberration that barely resembled a human being. I couldn't just kill it. It laughed at limb amputation, and grew back arms and legs in mere moments."

The Elder's eyes were as wide as ping-pong balls.

"I had to kill it by chopping off all of its limbs, then stabbing it through the brain and decapitating it." Felix continued, his voice going lower with each word. "And my reward for all that was watching-"

Garet glanced at him. He knew what was coming next.

"Watching a girl I loved die horribly in front of me." Felix said through his teeth.

Ivan took a step back.

"Killing this monster of course was no challenge." Felix continued with a mirthless smile. "But the man who is on his way here now almost killed me with a piece of ice. This man once took on the entire Tolbi army by himself and won. He may or may not be unstoppable."

Felix stared straight into the eyes of the now-trembling Elder. "So obviously, a fat little old man like you is capable of nothing more than getting in our way once the battle truly starts. Leave. Now."

He didn't need to be told twice. The Elder turn and ran faster than he appeared capable of.

Ivan was shaking again, his eyes wide and locked on Felix. "Don't tell me… it can't be… not Mia…"

The Venus Adept turned away.

Garet took Ivan's arm and led him away to speak quietly. Felix simply stood there, his eyes locked on the street before him.

Waiting for Alex's arrival.

 

Nearly an hour passed without incident. Ivan and Garet returned to the square several minutes later. Ivan's eyes were red, and he said nothing.

The three Adepts held their positions vigilantly. They had chosen the spot because it was open, and because there was no path to the palace that did not pass through the square. If Alex wanted to reach the palace, he'd have no choice but to go through them.

The sun slowly rose over the tree line, lighting the area and casting long shadows. Garet, always the impatient one, began to pace back and forth, grumbling about how boring it was.

"Maybe he's not coming?" Garet offered with a light chuckle. Ivan and Felix said nothing.

Another figure began racing towards them from the palace, but it still wasn't Alex. This time, it was one of the royal guards of Kalay, with a face as white as snow.

"What is it?" Ivan demanded when the guard reached them. It wasn't for no simple matter that a guard leave his post.

"Uh… Lord Ivan sir… it's the tunnels… they're collapsed!"

Ivan's eyes went wide. That was Isaac and Jenna's escape route!

"Damn." Garet said. "Alex must have done it!."

"What of Isaac and Jenna?" Ivan asked. "Did they get through before it happened?"

The guard shook his head. "No, sir. It must have happened last night or sooner, because they returned from the tunnel in the palace, saying they couldn't get through. It was only then we realized."

Ivan shook his head. "Alex is too clever. I should have known he'd be smart enough to realize that we'd use the tunnels."

"Sir… what should Sir Isaac and Lady Jenna do?"

Ivan thought about it for a minute. "Just tell them to stay in the lower chambers of the palace. That's the safest place they can be. Choose a location where Isaac can potentially catch Alex off guard should he get through."

"Shall we post a security detail?"

Ivan shook his head. "No! No, Alex would just blast through any guards we post. We'd just be throwing away lives, plus it would compromise the potential element of surprise, which is Isaac's best hope should it come down to a duel. No, assign any posted guards to recon. Keep the palace clear, and don't let any guards stand in Alex's path if he enters. No heroics! I don't want any lives lost when they don't have to be."

As Ivan gave these instructions, Garet watched him with a strange expression on his face. Once the soldier nodded and left, Garet spoke up.

"Ivan, are you sure about this?" He asked. "We're practically making it easy for Alex. If he gets past us, all he has to do is march right into the palace and go to Jenna."

The young Jupiter Adept sighed. "I know, but it's the best I can do now. Alex clearly counted on me taking action after seeing the vision. His plan was probably to block the cave to force us out of the front gate of the city and into an ambush. Once he realizes that we're not moving, he'll take the initiative and march on in. If he gets past us, there's not much else we can do to keep him from Jenna."

"In your vision, where did the… event take place?"

Ivan shook his head again. "It's hard to explain. It was like a black void. The focus wasn't on the location, but the people involved. It could take place anywhere, for all I remember."

Garet started pacing again. "Alex counted on you taking action after seeing your vision? How could he have known you would even have one? It's not like they happen all the time, right?"

"This is only my second." Ivan said. "You're right, this is strange."

"He's here." Felix said suddenly.

The other Adepts jumped to attention. In the distance, a man approached them down the main street. He wore a white hooded cloak that covered him completely, but the blue hair poking out from underneath was unmistakable. His arms were hidden underneath the cloak, leaving the empty sleeves dangling on its sides.

The cloaked man stopped just in front of them, his arms invisible underneath the cloak. His blue hair drifted gently in the cool wind.

"Well, it's about time you showed up!" Garet growled. He unbuckled his axe from his back and heaved the heavy blade over his shoulder.

Then he charged. Suddenly, a movement in the corner of Felix's eye caught his attention, and he realized something.

"Garet, wait! That's not-!"

The Mars Adept leaped into the air, swinging his massive axe down on the unmoving man before him. The man threw his arms up at once, casting the white cloak off in an instant. A heavy sword of light blue materialized in his hands, blocking Garet's attack as though it were a strike from a child's stick.

Whoever this man was, he was not Alex. His face was scarred with two lines across that formed an X shaped. The coat he wore beneath the white one was solid black, and instantly recognizable to both Felix and Garet. He was a member of Organization XIII.

The true Alex materialized behind Garet in the blink of an eye, a sword in his hands. He drew the blade back, ready to plunge it into the unsuspecting Mars Adept's chest.

However, Felix had anticipated this move. He lunged forward, blocking Alex's blade and delivering a kick to his chest. Alex stumbled back just long enough for Garet to catch on and pull back from the Organization member. The scarred man did not move.

The instant Felix and Garet were clear, Ivan cast a lightning Psynergy at the scarred man. Rather than dodge, he simply raised his blade in parry. The electricity bounced off of his claymore, striking the ground near where Ivan was standing.

A few seconds passed. The three Warriors of Vale regrouped, assuming their positions and eyeing Alex and his unexpected ally warily.

Alex's blade in particular caught Felix's attention. It appeared to be an average longsword in most respects, though the blade was a strange shade of silver, and blue energy surrounded it like a small force field.

"Your attack didn't work, Alex." The Organization member said in a flat tone. "That one noticed you on the roof." He pointed to Felix.

Alex smirked. "No, it didn't. But I think taking one of them out so early might have made this less fun anyway, so perhaps it was for the best."

"Whatever happened to your eye, Alex?" Garet asked. "The Hermes Water not cover that?"

Alex's smirk faded.

Ivan drew his light sword from its sheath. "I wasn't expecting there to be another. Who is this guy?"

"That's the same coat that Luxord wore." Garet said. "They must be from the same Organization."

"This is Saix." Alex said, as though casually introducing the man to old friends. "He's a bit grumpy, but I hear when he unwinds he truly goes wild."

Saix said nothing.

"Alex, what are you after?!" Garet demanded. His grip on the axe tightened.

Alex gave Garet an appraising look. "Look at you, all dark and filled with rage. What happened to our friendly conversation back at the lighthouse, when you let me go without a care? Did poor Mia's death really hit you that hard? Or are you just trying to be more like him?" He pointed to Felix.

"Things changed when you started targeting Jenna." Garet growled.

"Jenna?" Alex asked, in mock ignorance. "Why would I want to go after-"

He never finished his sentence, as the ground beneath him exploded from Felix's Psynergy. Alex was caught completely off-guard, being hurled back several yards. Felix charged after Alex as he fell, Ivan and Garet turning to Saix.

Alex landed on the ground, laughing as though someone has told a good joke. He was back on his feet in the blink of an eye, raising his icy blade and assuming a battle stance. Felix had never seen Alex in proper combat before, so he had no idea what to expect. Their blades met.

"I've been listening longer than you thought, Felix." Alex smiled. "Tell me… did you truly love her?"

If Felix could have destroyed Alex with the intensity of his gaze, he would have.

"I've known her since she was a small child." Alex continued as their blades clashed. "I know so many things about her that would make you sick. So many little things that she would never have shared with you. Like for example… the first person she kissed was me. Her own cousin."

Felix pushed Alex back as their blades met. Something was different about him, he realized.

"Doesn't that just make you sick, Felix?" Alex gloated. "Her own cousin…"

"You're wasting your time trying to anger me." Felix said. "Nothing you can say will distract me. I'm going to kill you today, and nothing you can do will change that."

Alex just smiled.

 

Garet and Saix clashed blades with each other, while Ivan stood on the sidelines, looking for an opportunity to strike with Psynergy. It was all he could do, as the Adept and Nobody were clashing with far more physical force than he could handle.

As Garet swung his axe again and again, Saix blocked each stroke with simple defensive moves. He was barely breaking a sweat, and his face showed zero emotion.

"So what's your deal, huh?" Garet asked as they fought. "What crap has Alex promised you in return for your help?"

Saix said nothing.

Garet broke off, jumping back to where Ivan stood. He needed to change tactics, or he'd just tire himself out.

"He hasn't used any abilities outside of basic swordplay." Ivan said to Garet. "I have no idea what kind of strengths and weaknesses this guy has, but he's clearly tough. We need to form a plan."

"A plan, huh?" Garet mused, scratching his chin. "Well he hasn't made a single offensive move this entire time. Everything has been defensive."

"I noticed that." Ivan replied.

"There have been several opportunities where he could have made counter attacks, but he hasn't." Garet continued. "It's like he's doing the bare minimum; just enough to be part of the battle, but not enough to actually contribute."

"Maybe he doesn't want to be here?" Ivan offered.

The two Adepts thought for a moment while Saix simply stood impassively.

"Okay, here's the plan." Garet said. "We ignore this guy, and go help Felix with Alex."

"Huh?!" Ivan exclaimed. "But what if he goes after Jenna?"

"Okay, then." Garet replied. "You stay here and watch him. I'll go help Felix." And without another word, Garet ran off.

Suddenly alone with the Nobody, Ivan turned and met eyes with him. Saix's eyes were filled with nothing, with the possible exception of annoyance.

"Uh… hi?" Ivan said awkwardly.

Saix said nothing.

 

Felix and Alex's heated duel continued. Each time Felix swung his sword, Alex matched with his own stroke. Felix was putting forth his best effort, but he felt like Alex was just toying with him.

Felix stepped back, his blade held at the ready. There had to be some way he could break Alex's defenses, but how?

"You know, I never thought I would have so much fun crossing blades with you." Alex said, winking with his single eye. "We should have done this sooner."

Felix charged, his blade swinging in a vertical stroke. Alex yawned as he raised his own blade to counter, but it was a feint. Felix ducked and rolled past him, casting Ragnarok as he did so. A massive sword of Venus energy struck Alex in the chest, exploding on impact.

Felix rose from his roll, turning to face Alex, as he expected the man to recover quickly and didn't want to give up his advantage. Alex was on one knee, his back the Felix.

Felix closed the distance in a second, bringing his sword down in what would be a killing blow.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Felix was on his back. His vision had gone hazy, and disoriented. Alex stood over him, his sword pointed at Felix's chest. The glow of the blade had gone from blue to violet.

"You have pushed me far enough." Alex said, his smile gone. "You couldn't just laugh at my jokes, could you?"

Felix knocked the purple blade aside and leaped to his feet. Alex simply jumped back and blasted Felix with a Plasma Psynergy. Felix was back on the ground again, his body numbing from the second blast of lightning. Then it occurred to him.

Alex had just used a Jupiter Psynergy on him!

"I'm wondering if letting you live at Mercury Lighthouse was a wise choice." Alex said. "You are strong, though not as strong as Isaac or myself. I found something amusing in your vendetta against me, but perhaps I should just snuff out the problem before it becomes one. After all, Isaac is my true rival, not you Fe-"

Alex's sentence was cut off by the sound of Garet's axe slicing through his neck.

The decapitated body collapsed in a twisted heap, the silver blade's violet glow vanishing as it fell uselessly beside it. Several strands of blue hair drifted to the ground. The head, frozen in an expression of shock, rolled on its own before settling several yards away.

Strangely, there was no blood.

Garet stood over the body, his axe over his shoulder, and a confident smile on his face.

"I told you." He said, flashing his best grin.

Felix rose to his feet, unable to believe what he had just seen. Garet had just killed Alex! Part of him was relieved as the sight of Alex dead, another part of him enraged that it had not been himself who had done the deed.

Garet walked over to Alex's head and picked it up by the long blue hair, holding it as high as he could.

"Not so smug now are you, you fruity weirdo!" Garet screamed at the head. "This is what you get when you mess with us! No one touches Jenna! No one! Expect her fiancé. He can."

Garet tore away the bandages covering Alex's missing eye. "I'm gonna build a table and stick your head right in the middle and use your empty eye socket as a drink holder! There's your immortality! Nobody! Touches! Jenna!"

Saix, who had been observing the entire thing, simply shook his head. "You fools." He spat. "He didn't come here for the girl. He came here for that boy, Isaac."

"What are you saying?" Ivan demanded. "I saw… I saw him killing Jenna in my vision. That's what we've been trying to prevent this whole time. Why would he go after Isaac?"

"I don't owe you any kind of explanation." Saix said dismissively. His claymore vanished and he turned away. "I'm leaving."

"Wait, why were you even helping Alex in the first place?" Ivan asked. Saix ignored him. He continued walking away, quickly disappearing behind a row of buildings.

"Let him go." Garet said, still grinning. "We can worry about that later! What matters now is that Alex is dead, Jenna is safe, and we're throwing a party."

With no warning whatsoever, the mouth of Alex's severed head opened up and an intensely high-pitched shriek echoed through the street. The Adepts dropped to their knees, instinctively covering their ears from the unearthly sound. Garet dropped the head as he covered his ears.

Though they did not see what happened next, it would have been worse if they had. The headless body of Alex began shuffling, twisting and moving in unnatural ways that a human body should not move in. It crawled its way of to the head, at which point veins, arteries and tendons grew out of the shoulders like worms and found their way into the stump of the head. These extensions buried their way deep inside the head and retracted slowly, pulling the decapitated head back onto it's shoulders and realigning it.

By now, the noise had ended and the Adepts had risen and were watching in horror. The body then rose to its feet, the head reconnected as though it had never been chopped off.

Alex opened his good eye and looked right at them.

"I take it Saix took off?" He asked. "Oh, well. He was waiting for the opportunity to do this himself anyway."

Alex cracked his reattached neck. "I suppose I can't blame you kids for trying." He said with a sigh. "But after cutting off my head… well, I'm going to have a rather intense headache for the next couple of hours. This will make my reunion with Isaac less enjoyable, so I'm going to have to punish you for it."

"Dear gods…" Ivan muttered. "How…?"

"How?" Alex asked. "I'm immortal. I cannot die. How do you think I survived the collapse of Mt. Aleph in the first place? The Golden Sun granted me the inability to die, but not limitless life. That part will come soon, after I find Isaac and take back what he stole from me." Alex noticed his missing eye was exposed, and picked up the bandages off the ground.

Felix picked his blade up off the ground and charged towards Alex. The Mercury Adept cracked his neck idly, catching Felix's blade in mid stroke and holding it fast. Alex's own blade drifted up off the ground and into his hand. The purple light returned, and he plunged it into Felix's stomach.

"FELIX!"

The Venus Adept's vision faded as he slid off of Alex's energy sword and collapsed bleeding on the ground. Ivan drew his short sword. Alex noticed this, and the energy surrounding his blade changed to brown. The ground at Ivan's feet opened up for a moment, then closed again as he slid down. There was a sickening crunch as Ivan's legs were crushed.

The young Jupiter Adept screamed.

"We could have done this the fun way, but you've all forced me to get this over with." Alex sighed. Garet faced him, his axe gripped tight. He was prepared for anything.

The energy around Alex's sword changed back to blue. "And now for the man who sliced off my head."

Ivan's face had gone pale and he had slipped unconscious. Felix lay in a pool of his own blood and was not moving. Garet stood alone, against a man who was not only unable to be killed but also had a natural elemental advantage over him. Things were looking grim, he realized.

"When the Wise One attacked me at the Mt. Aleph peak he said that my Psynergy was… somewhat stronger." Alex said. "I didn't know what that meant at the time, but now I do. I can use Psynergy of more than a single element."

"We can do that easily, by swapping Djinn." Garet said, boldly defiant, even against someone like this. "Not exactly an impressive skill."

"No configuration of Djinn would give you access to all four elements in the same battle." Alex said. "And nowhere near the level of strength I have. I'm so close to completion. I only lack one."

"Why the monologue?" Garet asked. "Why not just kill me already?"

"It's funny." Alex said, ignoring his question. "I act in a way that is meant to make people believe I am wiser than I actually am, whereas you do the opposite."

Alex lowered his sword and looked Garet straight in the eye. "You're probably the smartest out of all of them, and yet you behave like a buffoon. I find that intriguing, and I think you deserve to know why your best friend must die today."

Alex turned towards Kalay Palace, away from Garet and the scene of the battle.

"Unfortunately, I don't care enough to actually tell you."

Garet took a single step towards Alex, before he was literally frozen in place. A block of ice had formed around the redhead, trapping him inside.

During the heat of the battle, many civilians had been watching from their windows. After the shriek, no one had dared to look again.

No one had witnessed their failure.

 

Isaac heard the footsteps long before they neared him, so he had ample time to prepare. With his Sol Blade in hand, and his pregnant fiancée hiding several corridors away, he stood counting the seconds before Alex rounded the corner he was waiting at.

By counting the steps, Alex was less than ten paces away. Isaac turned and gave one final look at Jenna. Her beautiful face was filled with concern and worry, so he reassured her with a smile. She smiled back, but it was clear it didn't help.

Jenna was likely more worried about the others than herself, Isaac realized as he turned back to his dark task. That brought another smile to him. He loved that about her, how she always cared for others before herself. Growing up without her parents must have caused that.

Isaac didn't want to admit it, but he was worried too. If Alex had beaten all three of their friends… were they even still alive?

And could he stop him?

But Isaac knew he would die to keep Alex away from Jenna, for whatever sick reason he had for wanting to kill her in the first place.

Two steps…

He would give his life for her…

One step…

He swung his blade with all his might, and heard the sound of flesh being sliced as Alex was decapitated.

Isaac blinked. Expect it wasn't Alex. It was a castle guard, a look of sheer terror frozen on his face.

Standing behind the headless guard, Alex pushed the body aside. "Yeah, that already happened to me once today."

Isaac then felt Alex's fist collide with his stomach, sending him flying back and colliding with the stone wall. But Isaac reacted quickly, raising his sword as Alex came for another attack. The Mercury Adept had to move aside to prevent being impaled on Isaac's blade. Alex took a step back, facing Isaac with a smirk on his face.

"Unlike those fools outside, I actually intend to enjoy myself on this one." Alex said, licking his lips. "You have something I want, something I'm going to enjoy very much once you're dead."

Isaac glanced at Jenna. How dare he! "You bastard!" The Venus Adept screamed, swinging his sword down towards Alex.

With a flick of his wrist, a silver sword glowing with violet energy appeared in Alex's hand, which he effortlessly blocked Isaac's stroke with. But even as he stopped the first attack, he could already feel Venus Psynergy forming above his head. Alex moved out of the way as the clay spire fell from the stone ceiling above, shattering on impact.

As Jenna watched all the battle unfold, she began to feel strange. Lightheaded. Something about this all felt familiar…

Isaac attacked Alex in a succession of three attacks, followed by a casting of Grand Gaia which his opponent narrowly avoided. Not giving Alex even a second to breathe, he followed the Grand Gaia with a Ragnarok.

The massive sword of energy found its mark in Alex's chest. Isaac then closed the distance between them, bringing down his blade in a vertical stroke. Alex rolled out of the way just barely, several blue hairs being sliced off.

Isaac was attacking him so fast, Alex couldn't even gloat. It took everything he had not to be hit by each attack. Isaac really was the strongest of the Warriors of Vale.

Alex leaped to his feet, swinging his energy sword in the hopes of switching to the offensive. Isaac easily parried the attack, holding the blade back with his own. He then delivered a punch straight to Alex's nose. Alex heard a pop, and felt blood trickling down his lips.

But Isaac didn't let up even for a second. He then followed the punch with a kick that would have shattered the ribs of an ordinary human. In any case, Alex heard something crack. He stumbled back involuntarily, gasping for breath. He sword slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

Isaac kicked the silver blade far out of reach and then thrust his sword into the injured Alex's chest. The Sol Blade plunged right through Alex's chest and emerged out the other side, embedding itself in the wall. Isaac set one of his standby Djinn, changing up his Psynergy. He cast Bind on Alex, who felt his connection to Psynergy severed. Isaac then re-set the Djinn.

Isaac reached over his shoulder, drawing a second sword, the Gaia Blade. Alex was utterly helpless, his weapon gone, his Psynergy sealed, and having been pinned against the wall by the Sol Blade. But Isaac still wasn't taking any chances. Isaac swung the Gaia Blade, slicing Alex's right hand clean off. Alex screamed in agony. Sparing no moment, Isaac followed with the left hand, which drew another scream. He then drew back the Gaia Blade and buried it in Alex's shoulder, pinning him to the wall with two swords now.

Isaac then performed the finishing touch. He pulled a small dagger out of his belt and plunged it into Alex's single eye, blinding him.

The young warrior stepped back, satisfied but still prepared to act in a second if Alex moved an inch. Not that he could so anything. Alex was essentially harmless at this point. He was blind, handless, with two legendary swords pinning him to the wall, and what sounded like a rib puncturing his lung. Not to mention the Psynergy Seal and the broken nose. He wasn't going anywhere.

The once-proud Mercury Adept had been reduced to a pitiful, sobbing thing. And it had happened in roughly a minute and a half of combat against Isaac.

Isaac decided there was nothing Alex could do to threaten them anymore. He turned back to face Jenna with a smile, only to find Alex somehow standing behind him, completely unharmed, a smug grin on his face.

"What the hell-?!" Isaac jumped back, glancing at the other Alex pinned to the wall. It was melting right before his eyes.

"Doppelganger." Said the real Alex.

 

Jenna was frightened. It was coming, she knew it was. It shouldn't have been happening when she was awake…

But it was.

She couldn't move. Her body was stiff and frozen, unable to respond to her commands. She wanted to get up. She wanted to scream. She wanted to warn Isaac, to tell him what was going to happen.

It was torture, to suddenly know the future and be unable to change it. Now she understood Ivan's plight, and his hesitation to tell her.

"You know what's happening, dear." Jasmine whispered in her ear. The old woman was visibly aging backwards before Jenna's eyes. The wrinkles in her skin were smoothing and vanishing. The gray was fading from her hair, returning to its natural red.

"You know who I am. And you know what you'll have to do."

Across the stone hall, Jenna watched as Isaac pulled his Sol Blade from the wall and swung it at Alex, who simply stopped the blade with his hand.

She'd seen this all before. So many times. She never remembered it until the next time she saw it.

Alex grinned, holding Isaac's sword in his hand. He said something, then leaned forward, forcing Isaac into a kiss. Isaac pushed Alex back instinctively, spitting on the floor in disgust. Alex now held the Sol Blade.

Jenna had seen this before. She wished she would awake in a cold sweat, as she did every night this happened. But not this time. This time is was real.

"Don't hesitate when the chance comes, Jenna." Jasmine whispered in her ear. Calling the woman 'old' now would have been a stretch, as she had aged back a good forty years already. The gray was gone from her hair. "You know how this must play out."

She did.

She couldn't help but flinch when Alex plunged the Sol Blade into Isaac's chest. He didn't scream. He never did.

Alex may not have looked like the leather-bound man, but he had the same dark aura to him. The same ancient evil radiating from his skin.

It was sickening.

"Soon, dear." Jasmine said, now possibly thirty or so years old. Her hair was a luscious shade of red, and her eyes were filled with compassion.

"…ise One had you show him the Mars Star." Alex said to Isaac as he slid down the floor. "Don't you realize what he gave you in that moment? It was mine! It is what prevents me from being whole. You don't realize how is aches. Every minute of every day. I can't stand having only three parts of the Golden Sun! I need the Mars Essence, Isaac! And I have to eat you alive to take it!"

"You're wrong, Alex!" Jenna exclaimed.

He turned to face her quizzically. In that moment she wondered just how much of the original Alex was looking at her.

She rose to a seated position. Beside her, Jasmine stood strong and proud, at the same age as her.

With her hair. Her eyes. Her heart.

The explanation wasn't needed. The moment Alex's eyes glanced over the bump in her belly, it clicked in his mind.

"Ohhh…" Alex said slowly, a sadistic grin splitting his eyes. "Now I understand. It's the brat in your womb. It passed over."

Jenna closed her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Be strong." Jasmine urged her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Jenna's own hand.

Five...

"This is so much better." Alex said, licking his lips. He rose to his feet, summoning his silver blade to his hand. "Tell me, what were you going to name it?"

Six...

"Aria if it's a girl." Jenna said softly, more tears falling. "Matthew if it's a boy."

Seven...

"Beautiful…" Alex purred.

Eight...

"Jenna, no!" Isaac screamed, holding his bleeding injury. "Run!"

Nine…

Alex was right in front of her now. He caressed her belly gently, closing his eyes as he did so.

Ten…

"It's a girl." Alex said, before breaking into the most evil laughter she'd ever heard.

"Be strong." Jasmine whispered to her.

Alex plunged his sword into her stomach. In an instant, she felt the life-force inside her end. Jasmine vanished.

Isaac was screaming now, but she couldn't hear him. All she could hear now was the sound of her beating heart.

And Alex's words.

He lifted the blood-stained blade up to his lips, running his tongue down the side of the blade.

"It tastes so sweet…" He laughed. "I really am enjoying this."

Alex's meal then began.

 

He felt the Mars Essence inside of him as he emerged from the lower palace. He felt so close to completion. At last, all four Essences burned inside of him.

It was beautiful.

A large mirror mounted on the wall caught his attention, and he noticed just how much of Jenna's blood was still dripping down his chin. He stopped, conjuring a handkerchief from his pocket to clean himself. What was power without modesty, after all?

Alex rose and re-examined his reflection. His teeth were still stained, but that would have to wait until he brushed them that night. Satisfied, he continued on his way.

Perhaps he would slay the rest of the townspeople on his way out, he figured. Forever mark his attaining of all four Essences with a truly memorable title like Massacre or Disaster. That seemed fitting.

Alex emerged out the front gate and stopped, rubbing his eyes. The bodies of the Felix, Ivan, and Garet were gone. Who had-?

He felt his feet freeze to the ground in an instant, stuck fast by blocks of ice. A second Psynergy seal formed around him, cutting him off from his powers. And then saw, out of the corner of his eye, a dark shape drop down from above, before a sword pierced his throat.

"Take that, you bastard!" Xion hissed.

Despite the strangely cold sword in his throat, he was about to react when he felt another blade enter his chest, penetrating both lungs.

"And that!" Sheba said.

The two girls jumped back as quickly as they'd came, disappearing out of eyesight. Though the attacks certainly hurt, they were nowhere near mortally injuring for a being like him. And it seemed as though the girls had expected that.

Alex then heard the sound of a third, much heavier person landing behind him. He wanted to turn and see who it was, but the blocks if ice at his feet made that impossible.

"And this is from me." Spoke a familiar male voice.

A second before it happened, Alex realized the blades were made of frozen ice.

The ice swords then expanded massively, spires and points bursting out at every angle. And from those points, even more points burst forth. The ice swords inside Alex's body turned into giant spiky glaciers of death within a single second.

Needless to say, Alex's body was torn to shreds. Hundreds of pieces of Mercury Adept splattered across the palace entrance, some more intact than others. The largest piece of Alex that survived the shredding was a chunk of his left hand, wrapped in what used to be part of his glove.

Once the tiny pieces of Alex finished raining, Xion and Sheba emerged to examine their work. The spiky ice things dissipated.

Aside from the previously mentioned chunk of his hand, Alex's feet remained trapped in the ice blocks, both severed at the ankle. A few chunks of Alex splattered around were already trying to move, but it would likely take hours for the mess to piece itself back together.

The third figure emerged from the palace hallway, muscular arms crossed.

"Alright now, girls." Piers said. "The medicals are taking care of Jenna, Isaac, Ivan, and Felix as we speak. Our job is simple. Once Garet and Kraden get back with the Safety Deposit boxes from the bank, we just have to pick up any bits and pieces of Alex we find laying around and stick them in separate containers. Any questions?"

Xion and Sheba shook their heads.

Piers smiled. "Then let's get to work." He stepped outside, brushing a piece of Alex-ear off his shoulder.


	18. Eventually We Find Our Way

By the time they finished cleaning the scattered pieces of Alex off the street, there were fifty iron boxes filled with fleshy chunks of Mercury Adept. Garet, Kraden, and a team of palace guards joined Piers and the girls in their work, to ensure things got done quickly. Time was essential, as the small chunks of flesh could be seen slowly moving towards each other in a kind of orderly chaos. But only a few bits managed to reattach before being scooped up and locked away. Once they were finished, Alex's body had no chance of reforming itself. The pieces of flesh could be seen squirming and trying uselessly to escape and coalesce back into a whole, but they just had no chance of escaping from the locked iron boxes.

Finally allowed to leave their homes, many civilians shuffled out to watch the bizarre scene. Parents covered the eyes of their children from the strange gore. There was no blood, but it was still a disturbing sight. Once the work was completed, the civilians began to leave.

Garet, Piers, and the guards then took the deposit boxes two at a time and carried them into the palace. Kraden and the girls took a seat on the palace steps to rest. Garet noticed Xion and waved to her. They hadn't had a chance to speak yet, with everything being so hectic. She smiled and waved back.

Sheba sighed next to Xion and wiped sweat from her brow. "What I want to know is how Alex got the ability to regenerate his body like that. It's so gross, and yet so useful."

Xion gave her an odd look. "Useful? It's unnatural."

She noted her own hypocrisy silently. She had no room to talk, given what she was herself.

"I agree with Miss Xion." Kraden said. "Something about Alex reassembling his body like that just sends chills down my spine. And the total lack of blood must have something to do with it."

"Well, I wouldn't want such an ability myself." Sheba conceded. "I wonder what other tricks he has up his sleeve…"

Kraden glanced up at the palace, waiting for someone to emerge. "I sure hope poor Jenna is alright. After what he did to her."

"That Alex is such a bastard." Sheba said through gritted teeth. "What in the world would possess him to do something so sick…? What could he have possibly gained by trying to eat her?"

Kraden shook his head. "I doubt the integrity of his sanity. After what happened to him today, I wonder how his mind could possibly survive being blown up like that. Perhaps the regeneration has damaged him from brain matter being lost."

Sheba stood up, glanced at the palace doors, and started to pace. "Now that you mention Jenna, I'm worried about her, too. I hope she's okay. Isaac and Felix got hurt pretty bad, too."

"Well, the medics said the best thing we could do right now is let them be." Kraden reminded her. "I want to rush in there as well, but we would just get in the way."

The guards emerged from the palace, with Piers and Garet close behind. Sheba locked eyes with Piers as they passed, and the sailor gave her a slight nod. Sheba rose immediately and ran into the palace. Xion turned to Kraden for an answer.

"Ah." The Alchemy sage said, adjusting his glasses. "Sheba is most likely going to see Jenna. Or perhaps Felix. Most likely Jenna, though. They were very close during the journey across Weyard."

"I see." Xion said. She was concerned for Felix, sure. But after what she'd learned… she was hesitant to just run to him.

"Miss Xion?" Kraden asked suddenly. "Would you mind taking a walk with me? There is something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Uh… okay…" She rose and followed the old man down the street. More people were emerging from their homes, and the city of Kalay was filling back up. In the town square, guards were setting up rope barriers around the parts of the cobblestone street damaged from the battle.

"While Garet and I were returning from the town bank in that caravan, we had some time to catch up." Kraden told her as they walked. "He told me what he'd been up to recently, which I listened to with as much interest as I could muster. But what caught my attention was his mentioning of you."

"Oh…"

"He told me you have been traveling with Felix for some time." Kraden continued. "You have been with Sheba and I for nearly three days, but you never mentioned that you knew Felix, or brought up any of the events that happened with Garet and Mia at Mercury Lighthouse."

"I'm sorry…" Xion apologized.

"Oh, I'm not angry." Kraden explained. "I just wish to know why you kept this from us."

Xion thought about it. "I'm not sure, really. Every time I thought about bringing it up, it just felt like so much. Just so much to talk about. It seemed easier to just keep things to myself."

"Interesting." Kraden muttered. He scratched his beard. "I fear this may portend to something ominous."

"What do you mean?" Ominous? Because she wasn't feeling chatty?

"My studies of the Anemos God-Emperor Lunos during the three days we spent in the ruins have indicated a number of details of notice, which I fear have some relevance to the some of the odd events concerning Felix and yourself."

"Huh?"

Kraden sighed. "I found some information that may explain some things that haven't made sense."

Their path led them around the main street and back to the palace, where guards were still busy hauling off the steel boxes. Kraden stopped and started rummaging through his bag.

"Wait." Xion said. "How much about Felix and myself do you know?"

"Everything Garet knew." Kraden said, shuffling through scrolls. "He talks really fast and I'm smart, so it didn't take long for me to catch on. Ah, here we are!" The sage stood up, unfolding a large scroll of parchment. Various ancient runes were scribbled across it, with notes in the modern tongue on the side. "These are my notes from the ruins."

"I don't understand." Xion said. "You're saying there's a connection between this ancient Lunos guy and me not telling you that I knew Felix?"

"If I'm right, there is far more than a connection." Kraden said. He held the scroll up to read. "The translation is a bit iffy, but you should get the picture."

Kraden cleared his throat and began to read. "Our Kallunos bears within his breast the burning heart of a thousand warriors. His will is always upon those who speak ill of his greatness, carried over the mountains like the wings of a falcon. Nowhere in the world can one escape his eye. Once upon thyself is his mire, will brothers draw blade upon one another. Their tongues hold secrets that were once commonly discussed, held from blasphemy by the great one's hand. For the will of our great Kallunos is like the wind, evanescent to the mortal eye yet omniscient in its pursuit. The great Anemos fears none, for in time its enemies will destroy each other."

Kraden finished reading from the scroll, folding it back up and returning it to his bag. He noticed Xion's confused expression.

"I didn't understand that at all." She said. "What's a 'Kallunos'?"

"Just Lunos again." Kraden explained. "The 'Kal' is a prefix of the ancient language that means both god and emperor. But that's not what's important. In simpler terms, the text says that the Anemos had no need to fear anyone, because Lunos would gaze upon his enemies and make them hate each other."

"Okay, so they though very highly of this guy." Xion said. "What does this have to do with Felix and I?"

"There are more texts I have translated." Kraden told her. "Others contain a variety of boasts about Lunos. Some say he cannot die, others say he can change his appearance at will. And there are those that say his eye is in the sky at night, constantly watching the world below. Now, I cannot shake the feeling that something is amiss, and I urge you not to keep any secrets from myself or the others."

Mia's death came to Xion's mind.

"This may just be the paranoia of an old man." Kraden said with a sigh. "I pray that it's as simple as that."

"Xion!"

She turned around. Garet came running towards her from the steps. He reached her and gave her a big hug, which she hadn't quite been expecting.

"I saw you earlier and I wanted to say hi." Garet said, releasing her. "I'm glad to see you're okay. Felix has been really worried about you, ever since you ran off back at Imil."

"Sorry." Xion apologized. "I was… well it's kind of hard to explain. Is Felix alright?"

Garet nodded. "Yeah, he's fine. Everyone's fine, actually. They're all unconscious, but the healers said that everyone will live."

"That's good." Xion said, sighing with relief. She'd been quite worried about Felix, despite her recent doubts about him.

Remembering Kraden, she turned back to him. "Uh… what were you saying, Kraden?"

He shook his head. "Once everyone is recovered, I'd like to have a group meeting. You should go with Garet for now. I have some things I need to look into for now."

"Oh, okay." Xion said. "Uh… thanks for telling me about that… thing."

He nodded, and Xion left with Garet. Kraden watched them go, and sighed.

"I do pray I am wrong."

 

Felix opened his eyes slowly. He was back in the Kalay palace, in the same room he'd woken up in the day before. He felt rather dizzy, and his chest ached. He slowly rose to a sitting position, trying to process the wild thoughts rushing through his head. Alex…

The last thing he remembered was being stabbed by Alex. Everything after that was dark.

He examined himself. His chest was bare, wrapped in bandages. The wound must not have been fatal, or he wouldn't be awake. He glanced over the room. His sword was absent, but nothing else was amiss.

Jenna!

Felix climbed to his feet as quickly as he could. If Alex had gotten past them… had Isaac stopped him? Isaac was easily the best fighter out of all of them, but if Alex could survive decapitation, how could Isaac have possibly stopped him? Had he gotten to Jenna? Panic gripped him.

Felix grabbed his shirt off a nearby dresser, and pulled it over his head. As he turned to make his way towards the door, pain shot through his body, spreading from his chest. He grabbed the dresser to remain standing as the room spun around.

As he fought against his body's urging that he should not be moving, the door opened and someone stepped inside.

"Whoa! Not yet, you stubborn mule. C'mon, back in the bed."

Felix was so weak from the battle beforehand that he couldn't put up a fair struggle. He found a pair of strong arms guiding him back to a seated position in the bed. Once the dizziness in his head cleared, he found himself staring up at a familiar Mercury Adept.

"Piers?" He rubbed his eyes. "How did you get here?"

"Sheba warped to Champa and brought me here." Piers explained. "And it's a good thing she did, or this day might not have ended without any causalities."

"Casualties…?" Felix muttered, cradling his now-aching head. "Is Jenna okay?"

Piers nodded. "She's fine. Alex tried his best to do whatever it was he was after, but she'll be fine. Everyone will be okay. Isaac and Ivan were wounded as well, but they're all patched up now. Kalay has some skilled healers."

Felix sat back against the wall. "What about Alex? Where is he?"

Piers smiled. "When I arrived, Garet told us about Alex's regeneration powers. Do you remember how we dealt with the Serpent at Gaia Rock when we found out it healed from our attacks?"

Felix couldn't help but crack a smile at that memory. "How could I forget?"

"Exactly." Piers said. "Now take that, but replace the dragon with a cocky Mercury Adept."

"That must have been messy."

"It was. The pieces were still trying to form back together. Right now they're locked away in the palace basement, stuffed away inside safety deposit boxes we borrowed from the bank. Guards have been posted to keep watch constantly."

Felix let out a sigh of relief. So Jenna was okay, and Alex was neutralized. He could relax at last.

"How did Sheba know what was happening?" Felix asked.

"She and Kraden were exploring some ruins near Imil, and they decided to return to Kalay when they were done. The moment they arrived, they found the place empty, and saw the results of the battle. Kraden recommended she bring me back to help."

"Sheba and Kraden, huh?" Felix said with a smile. "I really have been away."

"There was someone else with them as well." Piers said, scratching his head. "I can't remember if they told me her name or not. She was a small girl, about Sheba's age. Black hair. Kind of quiet."

Felix's eyes went wide. Ruins near Imil… could it be? "Was it Xion?"

Piers snapped his fingers. "Yes, that was her name! You know her?"

Felix nodded. He couldn't believe it. She'd survived after all. And found her way to Sheba and Kraden of all people.

What a strange coincidence.

 

"He lied to me, Garet." Xion said. "He told me Alex was his friend. I didn't think friends were the sort of people that do these kinds of things."

Garet had taken her to a small coffee shop near the city entrance. She wasn't very hungry, so she simply ordered a drink, but Garet had a dish covered in baked treats and pies, which he helped himself to.

"What do you mean?" The Mars Adept asked. "I can't really picture Felix describing Alex with glowing admiration."

Xion scratched the back of her head, trying to find the words. "When I would ask him about Alex, he wouldn't say much. He would just say that Alex was 'a friend of his'. But I don't really understand how he could say that when he wanted to kill him. I thought friendship meant you cared for the other person, and you did things with them and had fun. But… from everything I've seen today, Alex seems to be a really terrible person."

"He was probably just saying it sarcastically." Garet said. "Felix doesn't like to talk about stuff like that."

Xion sighed. "I'm just really confused right now. Since I came to Weyard, I've met so many people who have had hearts their whole lives. They all seem to troubled and miserable. So much anger and hatred. I thought having a heart would be a good thing."

Garet stopped eating for a moment to consider her words. "Perhaps you're looking at the whole thing the wrong way.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think you've had the best examples at understanding human nature." Garet explained. "Look around you. The people in this coffee shop are far better examples of what having a heart means. They are just ordinary people, going about their lives. Sure, they were shaken up a bit by what happened to their town today. But things like that aren't extremely unusual in a place like this."

Garet took a bite of pie before continuing. "Felix, on the other hand… well he's not a good example. At all. The time he spent in Prox and the heavy burden he had to bear during the quest have led to him becoming a rather shut-in person. You and him make a rather interesting pair. While you strive to feel and understand what having a heart feels like, Felix tries to shut away his emotions and carry out his life as a machine."

"But why would he want to do that?" Xion asked.

"The people of Prox are generally nice people like you would find anywhere." Garet told her. "But their warriors follow a strict code that they've passed down through the generations. They treat all emotion like useless baggage, and fashion themselves out to be living weapons, capable of nothing more than combat. Even when on missions where they sought to do something charitable and save lives, Saturos and Menardi didn't hesitate to slaughter scholars simply for standing in front of them. Unfortunately, they beat their teachings into the head of poor Felix, and he's been struggling to adapt."

Xion looked down at her drink. "This isn't really helping me understand emotion."

"That's because you're looking at it too simply." Garet said. "The human brain is the most complex thing out there, despite what Kraden says about mine. Understanding how it works is not like learning how to play the lyre or how to ride a horse. It's something none of us ever fully understand, even those of who dedicate their entire lives to it."

"So having a heart makes things really complicated." Xion sighed, taking a sip. "Is it even worth it then?"

Garet considered for a moment. "Well, despite what Felix and the Mars Clan believe… yeah. It is. You just can't appreciate humor like mine without one."

Xion laughed. "You know Garet, you're a lot smarter than you look."

"Uh… thanks?"

 

"So what now?" Felix asked.

"What do you mean?" Piers replied.

"What do we do with Alex? We can't just leave him locked up in the palace basement forever. We have to find a more… permanent solution."

"Hmm…" Piers muttered, stroking his chin. "Perhaps I can take the metal boxes onto my ship and drop them in the ocean. Or we can all take a trip on the boat, and use Sheba's Hover psynergy to soar through the skies and drop them over Gaia Falls. Of course, we don't need to limit ourselves to the ocean. We can always bury some of the boxes, toss others in the sea, and lock the rest of them away. What do you think, Felix?"

"That's not what I meant." Felix said. "I think we need to find a way to make him mortal again, then let him out and kill him."

"Ah." Piers said, beginning to pace the room. "Garet warned me of this. He said you've been obsessing over Alex since I left. That you dedicated your life to ending his."

Felix said nothing.

"Felix, I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed in you." Piers said. "Your sister was attacked and nearly killed. You're more interested in letting Alex out so you can have another shot at him than you are with going to see her. The man who traveled halfway across Gondowan to help a total stranger was not a vengeful murderer. What's eating at you, friend?"

Felix still said nothing.

"You have to talk to someone, Fe-"

"I don't have to tell you anything!"

Piers stepped back, a rare flash of surprise upon his face. Felix found himself standing before him, having leaped to his feet as he spoke. The realization that he had just snapped at his closest friend settled in, and Felix bowed his head in shame.

"Piers, forgive me." He said quietly. "I don't… I don't know who I am anymore."

The Lemurian took a deep breath. "In any case, you seem well enough to walk now. Perhaps we should get some fresh air."

Felix nodded solemnly, his head bowed in shame.

 

Garet and Xion found Sheba waiting on the palace steps as they returned. A wide grin split her face as she saw them approaching.

"Your mood seems to have improved." Xion said.

"So has yours." Sheba replied.

"Is Jenna up yet?" Garet asked her. "How did she look?"

Sheba shook her head. "No, but Isaac woke and he got to her side before I could. The healers will only let one person visit at a time, and Piers is in Felix's room, so I went to see Ivan. He was certainly taking his injuries in stride. Was the little wind mage always this funny, or was that something he picked up from you?"

Garet chuckled. "Yeah, I think I might have messed him up a bit during the quest. He's been kinda quiet lately, with the vision and all, but I guess saving Jenna improved his mood."

"Where has Kraden gone?" Xion asked, noticing the sage's absence.

"I dunno." Sheba said. "He wasn't around when I got back."

"He's probably got his nose buried in a book." Garet figured. "Well, who do you girls want to go bother? Isaac and Jenna need their private lovey-dovey time when she gets up, so they're off-limits. That leaves Ivan or Felix."

"What about the healers?" Sheba asked. "They said only one person at a time."

Garet waved his hand. "If they're awake, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Hmm." Sheba considered. "Well, I was just with Ivan, so I guess we could go catch Felix and Piers in the middle of their secret romantic man-love."

"Their what?!" Xion exclaimed, her jaw dropping. Sheba doubled over in laughter at her reaction.

"That's just Sheba being a tease." Garet explained. "Felix and Piers aren't really in love."

Xion's mind was reeling. "How would that…?! They're both men! I don't even… You were right, Garet. I don't understand these things at all."

Piers and Felix, in an example of terrible timing, emerged from the palace at that moment. The moment Sheba laid eyes on them walking side-by-side, she collapsed in laughter again.

"Felix!" Xion exclaimed. She ran to him and nearly knocked him over in a hug-tackle. Piers, noticing Sheba's violent laughter, turned to Garet for answers.

"Sheba made one of her yaoi jokes." He explained. "Xion didn't realize it was a joke."

Sheba stood back up, wiping a tear from her eye. "Huh." She said between giggles. "Xion sure seems glad to meet Felix."

"Oh, they already knew each other." Garet explained. "They were… uh… it's a long story, I'll explain later."

"Okay, give him some space to breathe." Piers urged Xion. She let go of Felix, but seemed almost to be pulling him away from Piers.

"I was uh…" Felix seemed to be searching for words. "I was worried about you. You shouldn't have run off like that."

"Aw, Felix." Xion grinned. "You really do care." She pulled him in for another hug. Felix had never been more embarrassed in his life.

Garet grabbed Sheba's arm and started pulling her away. "You've done enough damage for one day. I won't give you the chance to tease her. She's too innocent." Sheba's eyes twinkled with mischievous delight.

Piers let out a hearty sailor laugh. "Oh, these kids. I'm going to go find Kraden."

The three Adepts vanished. Felix was suddenly aware that he was alone with Xion. She was standing right in front of him and smiling. And she wasn't showing any signs of moving away.

Felix cleared his throat. "Uh, Xion? You're standing really close."

"Oh, sorry." She took a step back.

Felix slid down and took a seat on the palace steps. Xion sat next to him, her eyes glued to his. He was feeling rather uncomfortable.

"Why did you leave?" Felix asked. "You could have died out in the northern wilderness alone."

Xion's gaze lowered to the steps. She nearly had.

"After what happened to Mia, I felt like…" She searched for the words. "Like I had to gather the Essences myself. I didn't want to put anyone else in danger. But there was also…"

"Also what?" He asked.

Xion hesitated. "You've saved me so many times already. From Axel in Loho, then in the Goma Cave, then again in the lighthouse during the battle with Luxord. I just felt so… weak. When I first met you, I thought little of you because I was a keyblade wielder, but… when I came here I lost my keyblade and my magic. I had to cling to you for protection."

"You wanted to prove to yourself that you weren't weak." Felix said.

Xion nodded, her eyes down in shame.

"Xion, you're not weak at all." Felix told her. "I bet if I had come to your world instead, the relationship would be completely reversed. Strength isn't just the ability to fight."

He sighed. "For example, I'm terrible at consoling people. And I treat my friends like dirt when they try to help me. And I run away from confrontations with them. You value friendship a lot more than I do, when you have much less reason to. If Axel had done to me what he did to you, I would never have forgiven him. You have a far stronger heart than I do."

Xion's eyes went wide. She stood and took a step back. "No, I don't!" She insisted. "I don't have a heart, Felix! And if having one is going to make me like you, then I don't want one!" She turned and ran inside the place, leaving behind a very confused Felix.

Felix remained on the steps for a few minutes, silently thinking to himself. His chest still ached, and he felt tired. Everything that he'd been through was starting to catch up with him. He was just so worn out from it all. Felix rose with a sigh and walked back inside the palace.

 

Jenna slowly returned to consciousness, her head aching and the room spinning even as she opened her eyes. Despite the nausea she felt at every movement, she forced herself up to a half-sitting position and took in the sights around her. She was in one of the guest room of the Kalay palace. She noticed Isaac asleep in a chair nearby, and breathed a sigh of relief at the knowledge that he was alright. She couldn't remember why, but she'd been worried about him.

Jenna sank into the pillow, closing her eyes. Something very important had happened; something that had rendered her bedridden. She tried to recall the events of the last several hours, but everything was chaotic and fuzzy. Trying to remember just made her head hurt more, so she simply lay there and relaxed.

Bits and pieces returned to her memory. She remembered Ivan telling them about Alex, Felix and Garet returning from somewhere, and hiding in the lower levels of the palace. Alex… he'd been after her for some reason. She couldn't put her finger on what it was. She remembered Isaac and Alex fighting, and then Alex turning his attention to her…

After that, everything was a blur.

Everyone was okay. She knew that instantly, somehow. The others had stopped Alex once he had finished with her. Nobody had died or sustained any serious injuries. She was concerned for her brother, and Garet and Ivan. But she knew they were alright. Had anything bad happened, she would have felt it.

Still, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She was certain she was forgetting something… something very important. It had to do with Alex, and his reasons for wanting to kill her. No matter how much she thought about any possible motivation he could have, she just drew a blank. Perhaps he was simply mad.

Realizing that she was injured in some way, Jenna pulled the blanket off to examine herself. There was a thick layer of bandages around her stomach, and a few bruises here and there, but nothing serious. She felt a dull ache in her belly, but that turned to a sharp pain when she gently touched the bandages. Best not to mess with it, she figured.

As she lay down and pulled than blanket back over herself, the image of Alex standing over her returned. He had a look in his single eye of pure evil, and his face was twisted into a sickening grin. He looked like a psychotic rapist. Had her body been what he had been after? It seemed odd for someone like him, especially given what he had to go through just to reach her. She didn't feel violated in any way, aside from the wounds in her stomach.

No, that couldn't have been it. Ivan had seen Alex killing her, and despite the ease in which he could have done that, he'd just turned away with his job half-done. He must have been insane, for nothing he did anymore made any sense. Still, she felt enraged that he'd touched her at all.

Jenna still couldn't escape the feeling that she was forgetting something important. The lingering doubt plagued her mind, and the more she tried to remember what it was, the harder it became.

Her recollection of the past few weeks was odd, as it felt like there were holes in her memory. Moments where she'd be talking to Isaac, then she'd suddenly be somewhere else. The feeling that something dark and ominous was troubling her, and yet she couldn't recall any details about it at all.

The more she pursued these thoughts, the more her head ached. She must have hit her head, she figured. When people hit their heads, they usually had trouble remembering things. She couldn't do anything but worry herself now, so she'd just wait until the healers returned and ask them about it.

She smiled and curled up beneath the blanket. She felt strangely tired, and had no desire to fight it.

 

Xion stood in front of the mirror, staring back at her reflection. It had been several months since she'd fled the Organization, and she'd changed since then. Her black hair was somewhat longer, reaching down almost to her shoulders. It was strange that her hair would grow here in Weyard, as she couldn't remember it happening to herself of any of the other Nobodies when she'd been with the Organization. She'd also abandoned her black coat long ago, now wearing worn travel clothes. Someone who had known her from her time at the Castle may not have even recognized her, as she looked so different.

But it wasn't only her appearance that had changed.

She sighed. She felt guilty for snapping at Felix the way she had, but she was in no hurry to go back to him. The man was just so confusing in everything he said and did. He had no reason to be so miserable, and yet he was. His actions worried her. Despite what Garet had told her, she was torn between having a heart or not. Would she treat her friends so badly if she collected all four essences and got her new body? Her friends, who were still stuck back at the castle, dealing with Xemnas and the others, while she was selfishly running free. And poor Sora was stuck in stasis, and would remain so until she either completed her quest or died.

Xion sighed. Perhaps she should have simply gone back with Riku in the first place. He had given her time to say goodbye to her friends, and instead she'd betrayed him and ran away. This quest she was on could possibly be one pointless endeavor. If things didn't work out, what could she do? She would have no choice but to return to Riku in shame. She would die, as would Roxas, and nothing would have been gained.

She just wasn't sure what to do. She wanted very badly to talk to someone about this, but the only person whom she'd told even half the circumstances was Felix, and he knew nothing about Sora or his predicament. Would he be so sympathetic to her is he knew what she was doing to an innocent person?

No matter how she looked at things, there was just no simple way to resolve things.

Xion collapsed on the bed of the guest room she was in. What to do? She'd never been so torn in her short life, not even when Riku had first came to her and revealed what she truly was. She'd been delaying thinking about these things until now. The time with Felix around Loho and Imil had been like a dream or a vacation. She'd pushed her responsibilities to the back of her mind, focusing instead on how much fun she was having with her new friends.

Mia's death had changed things. In hindsight, it had been a sobering blow that her existence did nothing but bring pain to others. She was simply cursed. The Organization would never let her go, nor would she ever be able to escape her connection to Sora or what her prolonged existence was doing to him. Sooner or later, she would have to go back to him.

But what of the Wise One's words? He'd told her that as long as she gathered the four essences from the lighthouses, he could grant her body of her own, free from the reliance on Sora's memories. She could continue to exist, and Sora could awaken.

But was it truly so simply as that? And even if such a miracle could be brought to pass, what of Roxas? Would she have to take him on the same quest before Sora could awaken? And even if she could, what would they do about the Organization? There was so much uncertainty.

She never would have thought existence had such a heavy price to pay.

While thinking of the Wise One, something clicked in her memory. Something she'd forgotten until then. Words she'd overlooked, due to excitement over something else. A promise she'd made…

The man you are traveling with... Felix. He has a sister named Jenna who is destined to give birth to a very special child. However, there is a man loose in the world, a very powerful man, who seeks to end the life of this child's father. This is because this man is after something that he believes the father carries. However, what he does not realize is that the thing he seeks was passed onto the already developing child in Jenna's womb. Once he figures this out, he is sure to kill both Jenna and the child. You must prevent this.

Xion went pale. The promise she'd made to the Wise One had completely slipped her mind, and she had failed to honor it. Alex was the man he'd been speaking of, and he'd killed the child without Xion even noticing.

She began to tremble. Her mission was over. The Wise One would never grant her a new body now. She'd failed completely to honor her half of the agreement. Poor Jenna had lost her child, and Xion had lost her chance to exist. There was nothing left to do now. She would have to return to Riku and return to Sora. She'd blown her only chance.

A knock at the door drew her attention and she rose to open. The grinning face of Sheba greeted her.

"Hey, Xi. Jenna's awake, I was going to see…" Her expression changed. "Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Xion blinked. She hadn't noticed the tears. She scrambled to find some excuse to play it off.

"I, uh…" She wiped the tears away. "I can't… I mean… Just don't worry about it. I wouldn't want to trouble you."

Sheba frowned. "Oh, hon. You can talk to me. What's the matter? It's not healthy to keep these things to yourself."

The young Jupiter Adept stepped inside her room and closed the door behind her. She met Xion's gaze to find a fresh set of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Here, take a seat and tell me what's wrong." Sheba told her, a look of empathy on her face. "Whatever it is, I promise I won't judge."

Realizing she wasn't getting out of this, Xion sat next to Sheba on the bed. She couldn't tell the girl what was really bothering her, so she simply said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Felix."

Sheba's eyes narrowed. "What did he do?"

Xion struggled to find something believable to tell her. "He, uh… He doesn't seem to understand me. I was talking to him, and he, uh… didn't seem to care."

More like the other way around. The lie made her sick to the stomach.

"Oh, I understand completely." Sheba said in a low voice. "Felix has become quite a jerk lately. Speaking of which, Garet mentioned you two already met. When did this happen?"

Crap. Xion suddenly wished she'd never opened the door. She scrambled her brain trying to come up with another lie. Instead, she found a visage of Kraden in her mind's eye, garbed in glowing white robes and adorned with flowers. Small birds and butterflies flew around him like some sort of holy relic.

Before she could wonder about the strangeness of this vision, the Kraden in her mind smiles at her and spoke.

"Remember my child, do not keep thy thoughts to thyself." The holy Kraden said. "Be open and honest with thy neighbors. And through this, thou shall be worthy of my blessings."

The odd vision faded as quickly as it came. Xion rubbed her temples, wondering what in the world had caused her to see that. She then noticed Sheba eagerly awaiting her response and sighed.

"It's not Felix at all." Xion admitted. "I failed to honor a promise I made to the Wise One. I let Alex eat Jenna's baby, and now I won't be able to get my new body. I'll have to die so Sora can wake up, and I won't be able to have ice cream with my friends anymore. I've been selfish, running away from Riku like that, when I should have just returned to Sora in the first place. Everything I do seems to hurt others, like making Roxas weak and preventing Sora from waking up. Poor Mia died because of me, and I just don't know what to do anymore…" She trailed off when she noticed Sheba's stunned expression.

The Jupiter Adept simply stared at her for a few moments, blinking every now and then. Finally, she spoke.

"Uh… wow." Sheba scratched her head. "When I saw you crying, I just figured someone didn't return your crush or something. Geez. I'll be honest with you, I didn't understand most of what you said."

Xion sighed. She did feel a bit better, having said all that aloud, but now Sheba probably thought she was insane.

"I did catch you mentioning Alex eating Jenna's baby, which is actually kinda funny to picture." Sheba giggled. "Morbid, but funny."

Xion stared at the girl, confounded. Even someone like her who had no heart had a hard time finding that funny.

Sheba smiled. "You have nothing to worry about there. Alex attacked her, sure. But Jenna's never been pregnant. Trust me, I would have known. We're as thick as thieves, her and I. And even if she was, why in the world would Alex want to eat the child? So, you have nothing to worry about there."

Xion nodded. Perhaps Sheba was the crazy one. How could she not have realized Jenna was pregnant?

Sheba rubbed her chin. "And I think you also mentioned Mia dying… I haven't seen her for a while, but I'm pretty sure she's okay. If anything happened to her, I'm sure Felix would have gone nuts. Those two had a thing going on, you know."

Xion nodded again. This wasn't really working out, she realized. "Uh, yeah. I guess you're right. I just woke up and I had a pretty weird nightmare. Now that you mention it, that all sounds pretty crazy."

If only her life could have been one crazy nightmare…

"Oh, sorry." Sheba said. "My knocking must have woke you up. Anyway, I came to tell you that Jenna's awake and I was going to see her. Do you want to meet her?"

"Yeah, sure." Xion agreed. She thought back to her promise to the Wise One. He'd seemed concerned that both Jenna and the child would both die. Perhaps Jenna herself living meant there was still a chance…

She rose and followed Sheba to Jenna's room, her mind still plagued by doubts and uncertainties.

 

Outside the palace, a black-hooded figure stood as still as a statue beside a tree. He watched silently as Xion passed by her bedroom window and disappeared after the blonde girl. Having seen all he needed, he took a step back, vanishing into the growing shadows. On the horizon, the sun was setting. Soon it would be Saix's time to strike.

And he had a plan.


	19. Eraser

Xion would forever remember that evening as one of the most awkward she had ever experienced.

She already considered herself a rather quiet and reserved person, but by being surrounded by people she barely knew who were all as close as family, she found herself forced off to the side. Sheba led her to Jenna's room, where the other six Adepts were already present. Xion met Felix's eyes for a moment, but they said nothing. His eyes were on his bed-ridden sister, heavy and burdened as they often were. Something was clearly on his mind.

Xion had only briefly spoken to Piers when Sheba had brought him from Champa, and she hadn't even met Jenna, Isaac, or Ivan yet, so introductions were made. Xion smiled and said her hellos, then retreated to the back of the cramped room. She felt like a fish out of water, surrounded by these people. In all the catching-up the Adepts had to do, Xion was quickly forgotten, which was fine by her. Like Felix, who stood like a statue in the corner, she had much to think about.

Jenna seemed nice enough, for the most part. Xion was a rather intrigued by how different she was from her brother, lacking both his brown hair and his solemn temperament. But it wasn't her appearance or personality, that Xion studied silently, but her injuries. Xion would have thought having one's child eaten alive right out of their stomach would have left considerable injuries, but the young woman seemed no worse off than her brother, who hid his own injury well. And Xion listened intently to the conversation for any mention of Jenna's baby or her pregnancy. For given the jovial atmosphere of the room, either the Adepts didn't remember the child at all, or they all shared a morbid sense of humor.

After Sheba's reaction in Xion's room, the young girl was doubting her own source of information. Had Felix not mentioned his sister's pregnancy countless times during their travels, she would never have suspected the girl to have had the child in the first place. It didn't make any sense to her, but somehow the Adepts all seemed to have forgotten the child had ever existed. There could be no other explanation, for they would not be rejoicing their victory in such a hearty manner if the cannibalized child were on their minds.

Xion took note of Felix's thoughtful silence. Did he remember? And for that matter, why would Xion herself retain knowledge of the child when the very woman who carried it did not? Perhaps her status as a Replica was to blame.

Or perhaps Xion was just losing her mind.

Finally deciding the cramped little bedroom was too small to properly celebrate their reunion, the Adepts dispersed, leaving Isaac and Jenna behind. Xion noticed Felix slip off on his own, and she was tempted to go after him. Garet, however, got to her first.

"I noticed you looked pretty bored back there." The Mars Adept said with his trademark grin. "If you need something to do, you can come hang with me and Ivan and help us get ready for the party."

"Party?" She asked, confused. Felix disappeared behind a corner.

"Naturally." Garet continued, pleased at having captured her attention. "We have everyone together, and we just handed Alex his pompous butt, so why wouldn't we celebrate?"

Xion considered. "Alright." Why not?

She followed Garet and Ivan through the Kalay Palace. They moved slower than usual, as Ivan was leaning heavily on his staff as he walked, no doubt an aftermath of the battle. Garet didn't seem to mind.

"So what do you think about this whole thing?" Garet asked Ivan. "Big celebration, or quiet reunion?"

"Not too many guests, I think." The younger boy replied. "Jenna's parents are on their way, and I guess Master Hammet will be attending. Jenna's still injured, so having a huge party would probably be stressful. I know I'm still pretty exhausted."

"Hey, Garet?" Xion asked nervously. "Is there… anything we aren't addressing here? Anything we should talk about… that we've been avoiding?" How could she possibly bring the baby up without sounding mad? But she had to figure out why they didn't seem to remember it. The curiosity was driving her crazy.

Garet scratched his chin, considering. "I can't really think of anything… unless you mean…" A spark of recognition lit up his eyes. "Oh, I see. Xion, we haven't told them about Mia yet. I know, it's been troubling me too, but we just haven't found the right way to tell everyone. Ivan here already knows, but Jenna and Isaac are just too happy right now to give them such bad news."

Xion sighed quietly in disappointment. She felt kind of bad now, as Mia had completely slipped her mind. True, their friends' death was also something they would have to get around to telling them, but it wasn't what Xion had been hoping they would remember.

Ivan sighed as well. "Thanks for reminding me about that, guys. I still haven't processed what happened. I haven't even thought about it since Alex arrived. If I keep burying my emotions like this, I'm going to turn into Felix."

"I don't see that happening." Garet said, giving his friend a pat on the back. "Felix regularly cries tears of blood. I just don't think you've got that kind of angst in you."

Ivan cracked a smile, though he tried to hide it.

They made their way to a large ballroom-like chamber, where Sheba and Piers were busy hanging up fliers and moving tables. The blonde girl immediately noticed them, and ran over.

"Hey, guys!" Sheba said with a huge grin. "You haven't seen where Felix went, have you?"

"Nope." Garet said. Ivan and Xion shook their heads.

"Huh. I think he's been avoiding me." Sheba said. "I called out his name when I saw him in the hallway, but he just ignored me and kept walking."

"I wouldn't take it personally." Piers said, joining them. "I spoke to him when he woke up, and he seems to be rather depressed. I think he's avoiding everybody right now, not just you."

"What did he say when he woke up?" Xion asked.

"He asked about Alex."

"Figures." Garet said, rolling his eyes. "Would it really kill him to be in a decent mood for once? His sister survived the attack, and is going to be married in a few months. He could at least pretend to be happy for her."

"He is." Xion said with a knowing smile. "He just doesn't want to show it."

"Oh, yeah!" Sheba exclaimed, remembering something. "You still haven't told me how you two met! Are you gonna keep it a secret forever or what?"

"Save it for the party." Ivan advised, earning a groan from Sheba. "We'll have plenty of time to exchange stories then."

 

"You're certain then?" Felix asked quietly.

"About as certain as I can be." Kraden replied. "It's unfortunate, but it's the only answer I can come up with."

They were alone, in a narrow hallway near the storerooms. The only souls in sight were the two guards assigned to the treasure chamber, which held the iron crates in which the fragments of Alex were contained in. Felix shot the occasion glace at the doorway, unable to resist the thought of letting the man free to take a second shot at him. However, his common sense was better than that, and he and Kraden were discussing more important things at the moment.

Kraden offering him a scroll, which he unrolled to discover one of the sage's own sketches. The image depicted the headless statue from the ruins near Imil.

"Dullahan." Felix muttered. "That's the same armor he wore…"

"Indeed." Kraden nodded. "I noticed the connection immediately. Sheba didn't, but she wasn't much interested in the ruins anyway. The thing is however, is that the being depicted in the statue was not Dullahan."

Felix's cast his gaze down, and stroked his chin in thought. "Lunos, then?"

Kraden nodded.

Felix rolled the paper back up and returned it to the sage, already sick of the image. "So then… were Dullahan and Lunos the same person?"

"If only." Kraden sighed. "Dullahan was more of a shade of Lunos'. Like an imperfect clone, if you will. A shallow replica. His powers were very similar, but distilled."

"You learned all this from those ruins?"

"There's still more yet. Those ruins were a wellspring of information. Why do you think I wanted to go there so badly. There was further runes beyond that, but I focused on those relating to Lunos. I'll have to make a return journey some day, to translate everything."

Felix thought about this. Even with all eight of their team against him, they had still barely beaten Dullahan. In all their travels, they had not encountered a more fearsome enemy. If Dullahan had only a mere fragment of Lunos' power…

"The Organization member we fought at Mercury Lighthouse was possessed by something very powerful." Felix said. "As he died, he screamed the name of Lunos. I have no doubt it was Lunos that tried to seize his body."

"But for what purpose?"

"He was after me, it appeared." Felix smirked. "He said I interfered. In any case, it didn't seem to work properly. He said the vessel was dying, and the body continually mutated in grotesque ways before we defeated him."

"Interesting…" Kraden mused, scratching his beard.

"I have no doubt that it was a coincidence that you encountered Xion at those ruins." Felix said. "Nor was it a coincidence that you and Sheba chose to explore those ruins in particular, or that Xion ran from me in the first place. Lunos has been manipulating things, giving us little nudges here and there and playing with odds to make things turn out the way he wants them to."

"A favorite strategy of his, according to the runes." Kraden added.

"The only question is why." Felix continued. "Why would he possibly want us to find out he exists? Or what he is capable of?"

Kraden thought for a minute. "I'm not sure. If we take all the strange coincidences into account, and assume they are the work of Lunos, then much of it would appear to be contradictory."

Felix moved away from the wall and began to pace. "And what in the world could Xion possibly have to do with all this? She's not even from Weyard! What could the ancient emperor of the Anemos possibly want Xion to discover at the ruins?"

"I think we must first figure out what he's after." Kraden said. "How he still lives, where he is now, and what his motivation is. I still have much to translate. If I get to work on it tonight, I may be able to finish it by tomorrow morning!"

Felix shook his head. "No, you've done enough already. There's going to be a party tonight, and you shouldn't be holed up in your room while everyone else has fun. Gods, my parents are going to be there. You deserve a break. We all do."

Kraden did a double take. "Well, that's the last thing I expected to hear from you, Felix."

"What do you mean?"

"Concern for my well-being? Are you going soft?"

"Just shut up and get ready for the party, old man." Felix said, holding back a smile. "This isn't easy for me, either. I have to see my parents for the first time in months."

Kraden stared at Felix for a moment, the smile slowly fading. "Something troubles you. Don't tell me you're thinking of leaving again?"

"No, of course not." Felix replied with a shake of his head. "But something has been on my mind. Back in Loho, Xion had a dream about the Wise One."

"I have heard of this, yes."

"If the Wise One really is after something here, then why has he gone so quiet? Does the Wise One not know of Lunos and his manipulations?"

Kraden stroked his beard and paced for a moment, ruminating on his words. "From what I know, the Wise One helped defeat Lunos back in the Lost Age… If he is truly unable to interfere in the affairs of mortals, then such an act, as well his actions in Sol Sanctum and Mars Lighthouse, would make this hypocritical. Lunos' return is no doubt thanks to the return of Alchemy… so the Wise One would have been aware that Lunos would seek to be reborn if the lighthouses were lit."

"So he just figures it's our problem, then?" Felix asked.

"Perhaps…" Kraden continued. "But it is not out of his nature to be cryptic. The Wise One was silent for nearly the entire journey, only appearing at the beginning and end. Perhaps he will do the same this time."

 

Xion spent the majority of the time in the corner, as far from the food table as she could be. Her previous unease had grown into a full stomach ache, and she didn't want to put anything down in case it came back up.

The Warriors of Vale were all there, with the obvious exception of Mia, as well as Master Hammet and his wife, and the respective parents of Jenna, Isaac, and Garet. Nearly two dozen heads when counting Felix and Kraden. It wasn't much compared to the celebrations Xion had heard of from Felix, but she felt completely swamped nonetheless. Xion was used to spending her time in the Gray Room back at the castle, which rarely had more than five people in it at a time.

Everyone was friendly, or course. She was introduced simply as a friend of Felix's whenever anyone asked, and the parents were all seemingly understanding of her modesty. They were all more interested in Jenna and Isaac's marriage, as well as what was taking Felix so long, which allowed her to easily avoid attention.

Jenna was doing surprisingly well, as far as Xion could tell. Had there not been bandages visible just under her shirt, one would have never guessed what had happened to her. Which of course, only irked Xion's curiosity farther. It was like the universe was rearranging itself after her pregnancy had been roughly erased from it. Xion wasn't sure why, but the idea of vanishing from existence and being forgotten was strangely familiar to her. And that was simply terrifying, so she tried her hardest not to think about it. Still, there was no way she was eating that evening.

About a half an hour or so into the party, Felix and Kraden at last stepped inside, and Felix's mother rushed to him and hug-tackled him almost off his feet. The next hour or so was spent with further reunions and story-exchanging. Xion's unease turned to boredom.

After realizing that things weren't going to get any more interesting, Xion rose and quietly slipped out, deciding she might as well return to her room and get some rest. Just as soon as she closed the door and took two steps down the hall, it swung open again.

"I thought I saw you slipping off." Garet said, flashing his trademark grin. "I can't blame you. It's pretty dead in there."

Xion gave a weak smile. "I tried, but I'm really not very sociable."

"No wonder Felix likes you." The redhead closed the door and went to her side. "I have an idea. Follow me."

Garet led her down the halls of the palace and into the lower chambers. One of the guards raised an eyebrow at the sight of them, but he said nothing. It quickly grew dark in the basement, so Garet snapped his fingers and conjured a tiny flame for illumination.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, very curious as to what could be in the basements. She shivered, suddenly rather cold.

Garet stopped at a large door, and turned back around. His face was expressionless, but a mischievous glint was in his eye.

"Don't tell anyone I brought you down here. Promise?"

She hesitantly nodded.

Garet pried the door open with an echoing groan, revealing a large chamber filled with rows and rows of shelves. They stepped inside, and Garet's held up his hand, the flame spreading its light. Hundreds of different bottles lined the shelves, of various colors and shapes.

"Master Hammet's wine cellar." Garet informed her with a wide grin. "The prefect cure for boredom. I stumbled across it the second time we visited, right after we saved him from Lunpa. I decided to… 'borrow' a few bottles for the road. He knew, or course. But after we saved his ass from a giant toad, he owed us really bad. So he couldn't say anything."

"Oh, you…" Xion smiled, examining the bottles. "Wow, some of these are really old!"

"Of course, that's how wine works. The older it is, the better it tastes. Go ahead, pick one out."

Xion turned to him, wide-eyed. "You can't be serious. What would the others think if they found out…? What would Hammet think?"

Garet grinned. "That's why I said not to tell anyone. Trust me, it'll be fine. It'll really help you relax and unwind. Just because everyone upstairs is about to pass out doesn't mean that we can't have fun, right?"

In spite of herself, Xion was rather excited by the idea. She'd never had alcohol before. She quickly picked out a bottle and joined Garet in the center of the room. There was no table, so they simply sat on the floor. She handed Garet the bottle, and he inspected it.

"Hmm…" He mused. "Good choice, not super strong. Best not to go overboard on your first time."

"Oh, I don't know what I'm doing." Xion said bashfully. "I just picked that one because it had a funny-looking sailor on it."

Garet removed the cork with his pocket knife and handed the bottle back to her. "Bottoms up."

Time sped by as they sat in the basement, passing the bottle back and forth. They talked for a while, and Xion found herself laughing at everything Garet said. He told her stories about growing up with Isaac and Jenna, and about things that happened to him on their quest. Xion didn't say much, but she listened well, hanging on every word he said. She was glad Garet had brought her down there, she truly was having fun.

"So…" Garet said, leaning closer. "About you and Felix…"

She took the bottle from him. "What about us?"

"I'm picking up some tension between you two." Garet grinned. "And not the arguing kind of tension."

She tilted her head to the side. "I don't follow you."

"Well, that conversation we had back at the café got me thinking. But this has been on my mind well before that. Tell me, why do you think Felix goes out of his way to help people?"

She shrugged, and handed Garet the bottle.

"You see, Felix believes that he should be selfless." Garet said, taking a swing. "He doesn't like to ask for things, he only wants to give. It makes him uncomfortable when other people do stuff for him. But despite everything he may say, he's a very lonely guy. He doesn't like to be by himself."

She took the bottle back, listening intently.

"He takes a lot on himself, that guy." Garet continued. "He may be willing to save turtles or fetch people their lunch… but I know he would draw a line somewhere. See, his generosity only goes so far."

Xion laughed. "Get to the point, Garet."

"I will, I will. Now, Felix was tired as heck when our adventure was over. All he wanted to do was relax and take a much-needed vacation. But somewhere… something went wrong. He got all kooky and went into full throttle emo-mode when he had no real reason, too. Sure, the elders banished him, but they had no power in Kalay. That whole thing was ridiculous. And then there was all that drama with Mia, but a breakup causing all this? Not a chance. And his family didn't abandon him at all, it was the other way around. You saw how his mother reacted when she saw him today? So what in the world is causing all this angst, you must be wondering?"

"I am."

"Well, I just figured it out today. Felix is quite the basket case. You see, after the quest was over, Felix was in a rough place. Mia left him, and the council was giving him grief. Well we all gather around and tried to help him out. He didn't know how to handle this, so he retreated further into his shell. We then saw this, and reached out to help him more. This led to him growing even more anti-social, and the pattern continued until he was a hair away from suicidal."

"That's crazy." Xion gasped.

"Tell me about it. All that stuff the Proxians taught him really screwed him up. They got him to think that any sort of emotional weakness on his part is a crime. That anything less than selflessness is selfishness."

"Well, what do we do to help him?"

Garet grinned. "It's not what we need to do. It's what you need to do. See, as I was saying before, Felix wouldn't agree to repeat his entire quest again for just anybody. So this tour you two are doing of the lighthouses… We both know why he's helping you. What you need to do is just give him exactly what he wants, but can't bring himself to ask for. Don't take no for an answer. He'll try to do the honorable thing. Don't let him. Force him to let you help him."

Xion scratched her head. "Uh… okay?"

"Here." Garet placed a key in her hand. "This is a copy of his room key I had made. Go there after midnight or so, it takes him a while to get to sleep."

She took the key silently and slipped it in her pocket, wishing she knew what Garet was talking about.

"And remember… don't tell anybody I brought you down here." Garet winked at her. "The bottle's about empty. How are you feeling?"

Her stomach grumbled suddenly. "I'm hungry."

Garet rose to his feet, and took Xion's hand to help her up. It took her a moment to find her balance.

"We have been down here for a while. Let's get back to the party and get you something to eat."

Garet led her back up the stairs and out of the basement. "You didn't eat at the party, huh? Yeah, neither did I. I couldn't stomach that weird royal food. It smelled funny."

Xion giggled. "No, no. It wasn't the food, I just had butterflies in my tummy. Being around so many people made me all shy and hesitant."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem now." Garet said. He dropped the empty wine bottle in a waste bin as they walked. The guard from before said nothing as they passed.

They reached the ballroom and Garet stopped in front of the door, looking at Xion and thinking. Xion was considerably more lively than before, her cheeks were red, and she was having some slight trouble with her balance. He considered if it was a good idea to take her in there, but he was hesitant to send her back to her room, lest she fall asleep and ruin his grand plan.

"Just try to keep to yourself, like you've been, okay?" He asked.

Xion nodded, and almost tripped. Garet sighed, wondering if he was making a mistake.

However, once he opened the door, he immediately realized that wouldn't be a problem.

 

A dark figure raced through the night.

A black cloak was drawn about him, with the hood raised. A pair of determined eyes could be faintly seen beneath.

The figure emerged into a clearing, stopping at the sight of a strange, cartoon-like vehicle. It was comprised of colorful blocks stuck together to form a spaceship, complete with wings and a cockpit.

"So that's how he planned to get back…"

The cloaked figure turned towards the faint lights of the distant city. He knew in his gut he was running out of time.

It was time to act.

 

The ballroom was dead silent. A dozen or so crumpled forms were scattered about the room, which Garet immediately recognized as his friends and family. For a second, his heart stopped in fear. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw there was no blood.

"Oh my gosh, everyone is collapsed!" Xion exclaimed from behind him. Garet quickly went to the collapsed form of Jenna, instantly recognizable by her red hair. First he checked her pulse, letting out another relieved sigh when he felt her heartbeat. Then he lifted her shirt just enough to see the bandages around her stomach. Thankfully, there was no bleeding.

"She's just unconscious." Garet told Xion. "Check the others, make sure they're all breathing."

Garet and Xion went around the room, examining everyone. Sheba, Isaac, Piers, Ivan, the parents, Kraden, Master Hammet and Lady Layana… Even Felix was out cold. Miraculously, nobody had cracked their skulls on the stone floor as they fell.

"I don't get it, what happened to them?" Xion asked from Felix's side.

Garet rose and scratched his chin, thinking. He caught sight of the buffet table, half cleared of food. "Of course… Somebody must have drugged the food. I thought it smelled funny. That's why we're okay, because neither of us had any of it."

Garet looked to the hallway. There were no guards in sight, and none of the ones he had passed had said anything or even looked at them. Had they been knocked-out, too?

He calculated his situation. If Alex had escaped, he would have simply attacked them all, as he had when he had first arrived. Either he had recalculated his strategy, or someone else's hand was at work.

If the enemy chose to attack in the ballroom, they would be at a serious disadvantage. The room was filled with inert bodies, which would make combat extremely awkward and a risk to their unconscious friends. Not to mention how tipsy Xion was… Garet had only taken tiny sips from the wine bottle so Xion would drink it all, so he was fine. But Xion would be next to useless in combat. They needed to get back to the hallway.

Garet turned to her. "Xion, we have to-"

He never got to finish. A shadow dropped down from the ceiling, landing directly behind him. Before he could react, he felt something extremely hard collide with his head, and all went dark.

 

Garet collapsed before Saix, a trickle of blood flowing from his head where the flat edge of the claymore had struck him. Xion jumped back in fright, reaching for her katana before remembering she'd left it in her bedroom.

Saix turned to face her slowly, his expression cold and uncaring. "This little excursion of yours has gone on long enough. You are coming back to the castle." There was no room for argument in his tone.

Saix slowly approached her, stepping over Ivan, then Felix, on his way. Xion backed away, nearly tripping as her head swam. Her back collided with the wall.

"There are two ways we can do this." Saix said. "You can come along quietly, or I can beat you into submission and drag you back. I am already inclined to choose the latter for you, so consider it a mercy on my part that I even offer the choice."

In the blink of an eye, Felix was on his feet, a dagger in his left hand pressed against Saix's throat. His right hand was on his sword, ready to draw in a mere second if he needed to.

"Move and die." The Venus Adept spat.

"Felix!" Xion exclaimed.

"Did you think we would just forget about you?" Felix said in Saix's ear. "I am no fool. I saw your coat. I knew you would come after her. I did not eat the drugged food when I noticed the sluggish behavior of the others. I suspected a plot like this, so I faked being unconscious."

"Not bad." Saix said. "It's a shame the Nobody created at Mercury Lighthouse was not you. You would have made a better addition to our group than that foolish girl."

Felix blinked. "W-what?!"

That second of hesitation was all Saix needed. The Nobody whipped his head back, the back of his skull colliding with Felix's nose. Felix stumbled back, blood dripping from his broken nose, and Saix spun around, swinging his claymore. Felix quickly drew his blade and did his best to parry, but the unconscious Ivan was just behind him, and he tumbled over and landed on his back. Saix jumped and landed on Felix's chest, raising his claymore for a killing blow.

Xion charged and leaped on Saix's back, throwing his attack off. She grabbed the sides of his head, clawing at his eyes and doing everything she could to obstruct him. Saix, remaining cool even during this, ran backwards into the wall, striking Xion against it. The breath knocked from her lungs, she slid off Saix's back, gasping for air.

Felix climbed back to his feet, ignoring the blood running down his face. He charged towards Saix, who calmly reached down and picked something off the floor. Too late, Felix realized it was the dagger he'd drawn earlier.

Saix hurled the small blade, which stuck Felix in the leg. Felix exclaimed and fell to one knee. He looked up just in time to see Saix's claymore swinging towards the side of his head. He raised his sword to parry, but such strength was behind the swing that it still knocked him to his side. He fought to rise, but was unable to with the dagger in his leg.

Without a word Saix turned from him and went to Xion. He swung, striking her across the face with the back of his hand. He then grabbed her unceremoniously and threw her over his shoulder. She was unmoving. Saix walked out the door with Xion and vanished.

Felix grabbed the dagger in his leg and pulled it out, releasing a torrent of blood. He forcing himself back on two feet, phasing the pain out of his mind. Out in the hallway, he faintly caught sight of Saix disappearing around a corner.

He ran after them as fast as he could, almost dragging his wounding leg behind him. He could hear specks of blood dripping on the stone floor behind him, from both his leg and nose. In the various halls of the palace, guards could be seen collapsed, though none were killed. He briefly considered why Saix would let them live, but another thought entered his mind, one that made his blood run cold. He prayed the Nobody hadn't thought of it, because it was simply too perfect of an idea not to use…

He had. The guards of the basement chamber were on the floor, and gates were thrown wide open. Felix froze, torn at the spot. For every second he wasted Xion was being carried farther away, but at the same time…

Cursing himself, he turned down the basement corridor and raced into the cold chamber. The various iron boxes were opened or flat-out smashed, and all over the room pieces of pink flesh were crawling towards the center, where half a torso and an arm were waiting.

Felix cast his Psynergy on the torso, a stone spire dropping from the ceiling and impaling it. The headless body floundered about as it could, but was unable to move. Felix moved as quickly as he could, picking up pieces of flesh were he could and throwing them back in the iron boxes. Only a third of the boxes were still usable, and he felt his time ticking away as he tried to figure out which ones were still undamaged enough to close properly.

"Felix!" He heard Garet's voice call from afar. "What happened?!"

"Alex's companion drugged everyone!" He yelled back, not looking up from his work. "He smashed open the boxes containing Alex to slow us down! Go after him while I fix this!"

Garet remained where he was for a moment, hesitating for some reason, before running off without another word. Felix continued gathering up the squirming pieces of Alex's body, trying his best to ignore the pain in his leg and face.

All the while, time continued ticking by…

 

Xion returned to consciousness to the sight of rushing colors and indiscernible movement. All she was aware of was that Saix was carrying her.

Her response to this was to grab Saix's head and sink her teeth into the back of his neck as hard as she could. He exclaimed and tripped, Xion maintaining her position as they rolled and tumbled down a hill. She tasted blood for a moment before she felt herself being thrown off. She rolled into a ditch, where she lay, her head still spinning.

Xion climbed to her feet slowly, spitting Saix's blood out on the dirt. A few paces from her stood Saix on one knee, clutching the back of his neck where she'd bit him. Blood ran through his gloved fingers.

"You little bitch!" He spat through his teeth.

Xion stood as well as she could, though the lingering effects of the wine were making it more difficult than usual. Her determined gaze was unwavering, however. She had never been afraid of Saix, but she knew that even at full strength and wielding a keyblade, she stood no chance against him. She stood at that moment unarmed and half-drunk. She wasn't going to be able to stop him, and nobody was going to be able to save her this time. But she would put up a hell of a fight before giving in.

"You can take me back, but there's no way I'll work for you!" She declared.

Saix rose, summoning his claymore. "Of course. That's why we're going to do what we should have done in the first place. We're going to hook your brain up to a machine and wipe every little detail out of your head. We'll erase you. By the time we're done, you'll be less than a puppet. You'll be less than an empty shell. And if you grow a face and a voice again, we'll just repeat the process. And again and again, until you stay that way! We will have a keyblade wielder, and we will have Kingdom Hearts!"

"Not today."

Before either of them could react, something flew through the clearing, striking Saix across the face. Blood sprayed on the ground and Saix dropped to the ground. The object landed in the bark of a tree, and Xion instantly recognized it. One of Axel's chakrams, the blades stained with red blood.

Axel emerged into the clearing, pulling down his hood. "Hey, Xion."

"Axel, you're back!" She exclaimed.

Saix rose on unsteady legs. There was a horizontal slash across his face, reaching from his ear to nose where the chakram had cut him.

"That's my gift to you, Isa." Axel spat. "A third scar, to always remember me by. I already lost two friends thanks to you. I won't let you take Xion. Got that memorized?"

"You filthy traitor…" Saix said. "Both of you! Does this have no end?! Very well, I'll kill you and take the girl back in any case!"

"Good luck with that." Axel said. "The dark corridors aren't working here. Why do you think none of the other members have been checking in, the ones you posted at the lighthouses? We're all stuck here."

"I was aware of that." Saix said, rising. "I have another way back."

"You mean that Gummi Ship?" Axel asked. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a bright red block of elastic material. "Have fun putting it back together. Although, even if you could piece it back together, you might have some trouble lifting off without an engine. I charred that piece."

Saix's face twisted into an ugly scowl. "Draw your weapons, Axel. This ends here."

"Or does it?" Axel asked, pointing towards the hill they'd fallen down. Saix and Xion looked up at the top of the hill, where a red-haired figure stood with crossed arms.

"I dunno who the guy with anime hair is, but it looks like you're outnumbered here, pal." Garet called down. "Felix is probably on his way, too."

Saix glanced back at Axel for a brief moment, before taking off at a run and disappearing into the woods.

"What are you doing?" Xion asked. "He's getting away!"

"Let him." Axel said. "He can't get back to the castle without the ship."

"But he'll be back." Xion said. "He isn't going to just give up like this."

"I'm counting on it." Axel said. "Now isn't the time for an all-out battle. He'll be back, and he'll try to catch us off-guard. We'll be ready. If we fought him here in the woods, we would probably win, but he might die. We have to catch him alive."

"Why?" Xion asked. Garet joined them, having skid down the hill.

"Saix knows things that we don't." Axel replied. "We're going to need to get that information out of him."

"So who is this guy now?" Garet asked.

"His name's Axel, and he's my friend." Xion said with a grin. "Got it memorized?"

Axel chuckled.


	20. At the Heart of it All

Xion awoke with a gasp. Her throat was so dry it ached, and her temples were pounding. The room spun when she sat up.

She didn't want to think about what she'd just seen, so she turned her attention to other things. The room was dark, though the hint of light peeked from the edges of her curtains. Early morning. Too early to be up, but too late to go back to sleep. Xion never forgot to appreciate her luck.

She rose and stumbled her way out of her room and down the halls of the palace to the kitchen, where she fixed herself a glass of water. Nobody else was awake yet, which was no more than she expected.

Her head hurt, and she was dizzy. She had been having a nightmare of late, one in which she appeared before Roxas on the clock tower and attacked him. And her face… was that of Sora's. Try as hard as she might to force it out of her mind, the images came back of their own accord.

"I need to make you a part of me, too."

Xion held up the glass in her hand, tilting it so she could see her own face. No brown hair… still the same shade of raven black, longer than it had been back then, but still hers. She wasn't undergoing any strange transformations, nor was she forgetting herself and becoming someone's puppet. She'd sworn a while ago that would never happen again. Still, what she saw in her dreams worried her. She didn't want to lose her identity.

"It was just a dream." She reassured herself. "That could never happen."

What could cause her to literally transform into Sora like that? His memories… they were why she looked the way she did. If she continued absorbing them, would she actually become him? Or was it her connection to Roxas that would have caused that? For that matter, what would happen to Sora as he slept?

Her reflection offered no answers.

Instead of dwelling on herself, she focused hard on the water half-filling the glass in her hand. Her already aching temples began to pound with a fierce intensity, as though in warning. Her head always hurt badly when she tried it.

Very slowly the water at the edge of the glass began to solidify, cackling against the glass. It did not break, as the ice that formed in the glass was taller than that of the water it had been just a moment ago.

This… 'Psynergy' she used was different from magic. The magic she had used during her time with the Organization had come in stock castings, which had to be regenerated back at the castle. It hadn't taken any real effort to actually use it - only focus and the saying of the spell name. But Psynergy was much different. The simplest of spells required the most intense concentration. Just turning a glass of water into ice made her head feel like it was about to explode. It was beyond unpleasant. It astounded her to think that Felix and the others Adepts were able to cast spells capable of reshaping boulders or summoning cyclones.

Perhaps she just needed years of practice to be in the same league as them.

The Mercury Essence inside of her was no doubt the source of this new talent. She could feel it inside of her if she concentrated. What would happen if she were to gather all of the Essences? Would she be able to use Psynergy of all four elements?

"Whoa… Xion? You're up early."

Garet stood at the threshold of the kitchen, wearing pajamas with printed Mars Djinn. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"I guess I am." She said softly. "Sorry."

"Don't be. Getting up early is my secret. Just don't tell the others." Garet cracked his back and neck, and walked past her to fix himself breakfast.

"You're an early bird?" Xion asked. "I find that a bit hard to believe."

"Well, believe it. The lazy oaf personality is just a façade. In real life I'm progressive, hard working, and charitable."

Garet made himself a bowl of cereal and sat on the table across from Xion. He noticed the glass in her hands.

"What happened to your water?"

She set the glass down, and focused on the ice. The frozen water returned to its original liquid form.

"I can use Psynergy, apparently." She explained. "Only a little, though."

"Because of the Essence?" Garet asked.

"I guess so. It hurts my head really badly though, to do even the smallest things."

"That's how it is when you're first learning. Ask any of us. We all have our stories."

She stared at him for a moment, considering something internally.

"Garet… Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"What were you tying to accomplish the other day?"

Garet set his spoon down, and looked up at Xion. "What do you mean? What day was this?"

"The day of the party. Before Saix showed up. Remember, you took me down to the wine cellar?"

Garet's eyes returned to his cereal. He picked his spoon back up and started eating. "Growing experience. When you're young, somebody older has to sneak you booze at some point. It's an unwritten rule. Nobody gets it to the drinking age with dry lips."

Xion hesitated, wondering if it was wise to pursue this thought. "You said a lot of stuff about Felix that night."

Garet looked up again. "You actually remember that?"

She nodded.

"Huh. You Nobodies are just full of surprises."

"That might not be the reason why." Xion insisted. "I might just be good at remembering things. But quit dodging the subject, Garet. You haven't answered my question."

"You didn't ask one."

"You know what I'm asking you." Xion continued. "Are you… are you trying to make something happen between Felix and I?"

Garet gave her a long appraising stare, as though trying to see through her. Or perhaps he was thinking about his answer. "So what you're asking me is… did I give you alcohol in the hopes that you would get drunk and loose, at which point I would point you towards Felix in the hopes of initiating… an encounter?"

She slowly nodded.

Garet responded by bursting out in laughter. "Well, to answer your question… No. No, I did not. I know Felix well enough. There isn't a chance he would have taken advantage of you had you ended up in his bedroom that night. He's far too noble for that."

"But you did-"

"Intend for you to go to him like that?" Garet asked. "Yes, absolutely. I knew nothing would happen. And besides, it wasn't like sending you to Felix was the only reason I did it. I also figured you were old enough to deserve a drink. Growing experience, you know?"

"You manipulative bastard! How could you use me like that?"

Garet raised his hands in defense. "Hey, my intentions are noble here! The destination is what's important, not how you get there."

"What are you even talking about? Why would you send me to Felix like that if you knew he would turn me down?"

Garet grinned. "Because Felix needs a girl. He hasn't been doing too well since Mia died. The guy doesn't really know how to cut it on his own. I told you that already, remember? The point in sending you wasn't to make you his girlfriend, but to remind him how long its been since he's had one."

Xion just stared at Garet for a moment. "That's messed up, Garet. You shouldn't just play around with people's lives like that. What if things hadn't gone well? I mean, forget Felix. Where would this have left me, if Felix had rejected me? I have feelings too, you know!"

"A-hah!" Garet exclaimed, jumping up from his chair and pointing directly at Xion. "You admit it! You do have feelings! You aren't just some emotionless machine!"

Xion facepalmed. "That's not the point, Garet. Were you even thinking about me when you came up with this master plan? Did you ever stop to think about how awkward that would have made me and Felix's relationship?"

Garet raised an eyebrow. "So what you're saying is… you would have been disappointed if Felix had rejected you?"

Xion blushed and bowed her head. "N-no…"

Garet laughed. "C'mon, I'm just teasing. I wasn't forcing you to do anything. All I did was loosen you up a bit and suggest you go see Felix. For all I knew, you two could have ended up arguing just as likely as you could have ended up kissing."

Xion bowed her head even further.

"And besides!" Garet said, rising and clapping her on the back. "Nothing happened in the end. Your old boss with the scars saw to that. So no hard feelings, okay? Grudges are bad for your health."

"I guess…" Xion grumbled.

"What's that? I didn't hear you."

"Fine, I won't hold a grudge." Xion said, sitting back up. "Just promise me you'll never do anything like that again."

"Of course!" Garet said with a big grin. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other ships to sail!" Garet took off with renewed energy, disappearing from the kitchen.

Red hair, boundless energy, and command over fire. Xion certainly picked friends from a small pool of personalities. She couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't compared Garet and Axel before.

Speaking of which, she needed to go pay her other friend a visit.

 

Felix stood as still as a statue, observing the red-haired man in the cell with silent judgment. Axel lay in the corner, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. Axel's head was turned away from Felix.

"You're up early."

Axel spoke without moving, surprising Felix. The Nobody had given no sign that he was awake. His breathing had been steady in the way a sleeping man's was, and he had moved no more than Felix himself. For someone as observant as Felix to be fooled, a great deal of skill would be required. Felix couldn't help but be impressed.

"I don't sleep much." Felix said. He went to the edge of the room and took a chair to sit in. Axel rose to a seated position, and watched Felix stoically from behind his bars. His eyes betrayed nothing.

"I wasn't expecting anyone but Xion to come visit me." Axel said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Felix waited a moment before answering, perhaps searching for the words. "I came to ask you a few things. There are some matters that need to be set straight."

"Ask away."

"You're a member of the Organization." Felix stated.

"Your powers of observation are astounding."

Felix's mouth twitched just slightly, irritated by Axel's cheek. "The last time I saw you was in Loho, when you attacked Xion. You were going to take her back to your base, on the orders of your superior."

"I was."

"I wanted to kill you after that." Felix continued, emotionlessly. "I still do. Xion claims that you are trustworthy, but I have seen nothing to support this claim beyond her word. And it is only her word that has kept you alive so far. I trusted her, just as she trusted you. We let you leave, to return to your base. You promised Xion you would not betray her presence to the Organization. And yet here we are, fighting them off left and right."

The gaze they shared was intense, but their faces were stoic masks. It was as though they were each waiting for the other to slip up and drop his façade.

"Your point being?"

"Do I need to spell it out?" Felix said. "You betrayed us. You gave Xion your word and you lied. Two more members have appeared since we let you go."

"Is that the conclusion you've come to?" Axel asked, his lips curling into a mirthless smile. "How do you think they knew to send me to Loho in the first place? They obviously already knew she was in Weyard. It wasn't until she ditched the black coat that we lost the ability to track her."

"I wasn't referring to your knowing she was in Weyard." Felix said, rising from the chair and pacing the room. "She told you about her mission to gather the Essences. That she needed to go to all the Lighthouses to do this. We ran into one of yours there. Luxord, I believe his name was."

"So you did kill Luxord?" Axel muttered. "I guess he rolled a bad initiative."

"And that blasted machine!" Felix exclaimed, his fists clenching into balls. "What was the purpose of it? Why were you trying to block the flow of the Hermes' Water?"

Axel looked up at Felix. "I knew about the machine, and I knew they were trying to prevent the water from flowing… but I didn't know any more about that. I don't know how they found out Xion was going to the lighthouses. There's a lot they don't tell me."

Felix glared at Axel. "That's not good enough. That machine was trapped. You wouldn't have set it up like that unless you knew we would try to disable it. And it certainly did what you wanted it to. One of my companions died because of your damn machine."

"Mia…" Axel said sadly.

Surprise struck Felix's expression like a brick to the face. He stared at Axel fixatedly, and his finger unconsciously brushed against the hilt of his sword. Axel seemed to realize what he's just done, for he sat up and noticed Felix's change in attitude.

"How do you know about Mia?" Felix demanded.

Axel chose his words carefully. "The machine's trap released a Heartless. You don't know what happens when someone dies at the hands of a Heartless?"

Felix's expression answered the question for him.

"They become… one of us." Axel said. "A Nobody, like Xion and I. Your friend Mia… that's what happened to her. She was turned into a Nobody and brought along into our ranks."

"No, I know Mia. She wouldn't work for the people who caused her own death."

"She wasn't the same person. It's not exactly common for Nobodies to not remember their previous lives, but I have seen it happen." Roxas, of course.

Felix seemed to ruminate on his words. "So she lives?"

Alex hesitated. The repercussions of what might happen if he should lie weighed heavily upon him, but the idea of building up hope of saving his friend only to dash it a moment later seemed cruel even to him. Telling Felix that Mia still lived could give him an opportunity, but it could also tie the noose already hanging around his neck.

It didn't matter either way, he figured. So long as Siax and the others paid for their crimes. Either way, he was living off of borrowed time, and soon it would run out. What would be the harm of one more lie upon a soul as blackened as his?

"She lives." Axel said slowly. "Lost and confused, as the Organization's tool. Their leader has a use for her, but I don't know what it may be."

"Their leader?" Felix quoted. "Are you one of them or not?"

"I used to be. But that was before I met Mia. While Roxas and Xion sowed the seeds of my independence, it was Mia who ultimately spurred my rebellion. I turned against them, and it the ensuing battle I incinerated most of their castle. I was able to escape in the chaos, but Mia was not."

"You left her."

"I did not!" Axel exclaimed, rising to his feet and staring Felix back in defiance. "They took her hostage. They turned her against me with their lies, just as they turned her against you. She doesn't know who she is now, and Xemnas' silver tongue is filling in the gaps. I want to save her now more than anything!"

It was partially true, at least. Mia had hated him in those final moments, and he had wanted to save her. Until she was lost, at which point that passion became bloodlust.

Felix studied Axel carefully, considering his words. "Suppose I take what you say for the truth. What then? I still do not trust you. I trust no one who raises a blade against me. Or whatever you call those discs of yours."

"Chakrams."

"Whatever. Xion trusts you, but as much as I care for her, I will be the first to admit she is naïve. Tell me what you are after."

Axel turned his back to Felix, the shadows in his cell growing longer as he spoke quietly. "I had nothing when the Organization took me in and made me their dog. I was nothing. What little I have gained since then has been snatched away from me. I want to… I want to save Mia."

"So you have said already. But what can you offer me to justify me letting you go?"

"Their base may be gone, but Organization XIII still exists. The members are scattered about on this world, and I can help you find them. I know their abilities and weaknesses. I know what tactics they will employ to stop you, and how to foil them. In the past, I was the guy they asked to eliminate traitors within their ranks. I may be the traitor now, but I still know how to kill them. I can help you in ways Xion cannot. We may have both been members, but I know a great deal more than she of their inner workings. If you want to bring them down, you couldn't pick a better guy to help you than me."

Felix chuckled. "Nice sales pitch. Next time try not to oversell it so much."

The Adept turned to leave. Axel threw himself up against the bars of his cell.

"Where are you going?! Do we have a deal or not?"

"I will have to think about it. I'll do some research to confirm the things you've said during our chat, and then I'll make my decision. In the meantime, sit tight and don't cause any trouble."

Felix strode towards the door, which opened of its own accord. Xion stepped in.

"Felix? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Just having a chat with your friend. We'll talk later."

And without another word, Felix left. Xion turned to Axel for an explanation.

"Your new friend is very interesting." Axel said with a faint smile.

Xion went to the edge of the bars and sat in front of her friend.

"Axel…" She said. "What happened to Roxas?"

He bowed his head.

 

"I'm glad you're all here." Kraden said, his voice echoing through the room. The fire beside him crackled gently, and the flames cast long shadows through the room. "We have much to discuss."

Kraden and the Adepts were gathered in Hammet's study. Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Felix, Jenna, Sheba, and Piers sat wherever available, on chairs and the floor, huddled around the elderly sage like children before a storyteller. Only Felix sat aloof, listening but not rapt.

Kraden's bespectacled eyes swept over the room, counting the seven youths in the room.

"Where is your friend Xion, Felix?" Kraden asked.

"What we discuss today does not concern her." Felix said.

"It just may." Kraden said. "If she is to be traveling with you, she should know what to expect."

"I would rather not trouble her. She has enough to think about already."

Garet found something else to look at.

"I have to agree with Felix on this." Isaac said from beside Jenna. "Xion is not one of us, and she has no place in our business. She's caused enough trouble for us already."

Felix stared at Isaac. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Isaac returned the hard stare. "You know exactly what I mean. We were attacked - almost killed - by one of her old friends. We have another one locked up below. Your… 'creepy' infatuation with this girl has gotten us involved in the affairs of this organization thing."

"My what?!"

"Boys, enough!" Jenna exclaimed, silencing them. "I hate to say it, but Isaac is right. We don't know what you've gotten us into, Felix. These people are dangerous."

"Just one of them was able to infiltrate the palace and drug almost all of us." Ivan pointed out. "A palace with two psychics and dozens of guards. And this was after we had already tightened security to prevent Alex from escaping. Master Hammet isn't happy."

"With me?" Felix scoffed. "And I should care, why? Look, I get what you're all saying. And your worries are unfounded. Xion and I will be gone on the morrow."

Jenna gasped. "Felix, that's not-"

"No, Felix is right." Sheba interrupted. "Nobody has said it, but it has been in your thoughts. Xion is a magnet for trouble, and we cannot afford to keep her in this palace. We've all been discussing this in various degrees since the attack the other day. It's been more or less decided."

Jenna sighed. "Whatever. Well, if it's already been decided, then why are we having this meeting?"

Kraden cleared his throat. "Because Organization XIII is not the enemy we are here to discuss."

Kraden rose and unraveled one of his scrolls, displaying a sketch of the statue from the ruins by Imil. The Adepts, save Felix, stared at it until they recognized the headless armor.

"Dullahan?" Piers asked.

"Not quite." Kraden said, rolling the scroll back up. "His name is Lunos. He was the god and emperor of the ancient Anemos."

Kraden proceeded to tell the Adepts all he had learned about Lunos and the Anemos. They listened closely, especially Sheba. By the time Kraden was finished, they all had questions on their tongues.

"I don't understand." Garet said. "What's stopping him from coming back?"

"He has no body." Kraden said. "Without a physical form, he cannot reclaim his empire. However, his powers are still strong, and he can manipulate odds or the thoughts of others. I do not yet know what his goal is, but he has been influencing events around us, and this Xion girl."

"That can't be right." Sheba said. "Xion came from another world, right? How could she possibly be involved in this?"

"You and I found her in those ruins near Imil." Kraden said. "That could not have been a coincidence. There is some greater plan at work here. Somehow, our actions involving the lighthouses tie together with Alex and this Organization. And Lunos is after something at the heart of it all."

Isaac scratched his head. "This is insane. So what do we do about this?"

"Xion and I will be leaving tomorrow." Felix repeated. "Piers will be accompanying us. We have already discussed it. We will travel to the remaining lighthouses and confront the Organization members posted there. If we can capture one alive, we can interrogate them and figure out what their plan is, and what they know of Lunos or Alex."

Garet glanced at them. "Just you three? Against one Nobody that might be fine, but what if they gang up? We already know there are more than one in Weyard. We should all go."

Felix shook his head. "We cannot. You all must remain here to guard Alex and the prisoner. The blue-haired member might be back. We cannot leave those two unguarded."

Sheba rose and tossed something to Felix. "Take it, then. No point in wasting time traveling on foot, right?"

Felix held up the Teleport Lapis. "I can't take this. What if you need to bring us back here, should the city be attacked? Or if Alex should escape somehow? No, Sheba. You must be our carrier."

Sheba pouted. "Carrier? What am I, a pigeon?"

"You have the most psynergy, you can send psychic messages, and you are most familiar with the stone." Felix told her. "It has to be you."

Sheba sighed. "Fine, but I don't need that to do the job. I've been using the Teleport psynergy for so long I have it memorized. I can get around without the Lapis."

Felix blinked. "Is this true?"

Kraden nodded. "It is, in fact. I've seen her do it. It was most remarkable."

Felix pocketed the Lapis. "In that case, fortune may be smiling on us after all. With the Teleport Lapis, we can get our job done in a mere fraction of the time it would have taken otherwise."

"It still think you should take more people with you." Garet said. "That Luxord guy was no pushover, and that was with four of us. We couldn't even beat the guy with the scars."

"He has a point." Kraden said. "With both you and Sheba able to Teleport at will, we won't need to keep as many Adepts here. We must decide who will go and who will stay here."

"I would go." Jenna sighed. "But I'm in no shape to travel after what happened."

"Same here." Ivan said.

"I stay with Jenna." Isaac said. Felix scoffed. Even if Jenna hadn't been staying behind, Felix doubted Isaac would have wanted to travel with him.

"And I'm the pigeon." Sheba sighed. "So that means I have to stay here, too."

"So that means its just me." Garet said with a grin. "Not much of an improvement, but I'll pull my weight."

"There may be one other." Felix said. He turned to Sheba. "There is one last favor I need to ask of you."

 

The glow of Psynergy faded from Sheba's body and her hands dropped to her sides.

"Wow. This guy has more issues than even you, Felix."

Xion sat watching expectantly from the side of the cell. Axel stood with crossed arms, waiting to see what the latest visit was about.

"Is what he said true?" Felix asked, trying to keep his excitement under control.

Sheba nodded. Felix's heart began to race.

"Mia survived the battle at Mercury Lighthouse." She said. "She didn't remember who she was. They took her back and made a member out of her. There was a crazy battle. Axel trashed their palace and fled."

Felix nodded, unable to hide the grin on his face. "In that case, he will come with us."

Xion's eyes brightened, and she grinned herself. "Really? You finally trust him?"

"Not entirely." Felix said, turning to Axel. "There will be a few conditions. Everything you promised earlier will be delivered. You will help us destroy the Organization. Do not touch Xion. Do nothing to betray us, and follow my every order. If you give me any reason not to trust you, I will not hesitate to end you. Do you understand your role in this?"

Axel nodded.

Felix turned to the two guards standing just at the doorway and took a set of keys from them. He opened the gate and Axel slowly stepped out of the cell.

"You said earlier they can track you through those coats, right?" Felix asked, indicating Axel's black garb.

"That's how we found Xion." Axel replied.

"Lose it." Felix said. "We'll leave it here and get you something new to wear. Toss the coat in the cell. They'll think you're still in there."

Axel removed his black coat and threw it in his cell, wearing only his black shirt and slacks. Xion ran up and hugged him. Felix stepped out without another word.

"I have to go get ready." Xion said. "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, so make sure you're ready."

"I will." Axel assured her.

Xion grinned and left with a spring in her step, leaving Axel alone with Sheba and the two guards. The Nobody turned to the small blonde girl, who had a troubled and weary look in her eyes.

"You were in my mind." He said. "You saw the things I saw."

She nodded.

"You didn't tell him what happened at that battle. Why?"

Sheba sighed. "I couldn't bear to break his heart again. He's been through too much. Just… just let him have hope."

"He'll have to know sooner or later." Axel said, completely deadpan. "Do you want me to string him along on false hope?"

"Do you want to tell him?" Sheba demanded, looking up at Axel. "He'll kill you in a second. He won't care how Xion feels about it. His rage will consume him."

"I'll tell him once Saix and the other are dead, then." Axel said. "Once I have my revenge, I don't care what happens to me after that."

Sheba passed him, shaking her head. "Why do you all want to die so badly?"

Axel had no answer to that.

 

They rose the next morning and gathered at the front gate of the palace. Xion and Axel, as well as Kraden and the Adepts waited for Felix and Piers to arrive. The wind was cold and bitter, and the grass was frosted. Xion shivered. Axel placed his hand on her shoulder. He now wore a red shirt under leather armor, having discarded his black coat at the prison. Xion examined his new clothes for a minute and chuckled.

"Your fashion sense is terrible." She teased.

"Have you seen my hair?" He asked. They both laughed.

From the second story window of the palace, Felix stood watched the others talking. Piers approached him from behind.

"What troubles you, Felix?" the Lemurian asked. "We must be leaving soon."

"Are you ready for combat, Piers?" He asked without turning. "We are going straight to Venus Lighthouse. There will be another Organization member there. We will end up fighting them."

"So we have been told." Piers said. "Why are you hesitating?"

"Do they really think I'm going to destroy myself?" Felix said quietly. "They look like they're preparing for a funeral."

"I think you're just being paranoid." Piers said.

"I am." Felix said. "I don't know why I'm doing this. Alex is beaten. I don't know what to do with myself now. I'm just helping Xion because I promised I would. Mia is still alive, but she won't remember me. What if I can't restore her memory?"

"You're confused."

"Obviously." Felix sighed. "Something terrible is about to happen. I can just feel it. Something about this all feels… wrong."

"It felt wrong when we fought to restore the lighthouses, too." Piers said. "These adventures we go on, they always feel wrong. It is because we aren't heroes. Heroes only exist in stories. We're only good people trying to do the best we can in a conflicted world. Sometimes we have to do bad things for the greater good."

"The greater good…" Felix echoed. "An excuse to commit evil."

"In stories." Piers reminded him.

"Will this be a story one day?" Felix demanded. "This confusing mess we're in? I don't even know what's going on anymore! Who is this Lunos? What is the Organization after? What has Alex become that we must store his body parts in separate containers to prevent him from regenerating?! Will the bards and poets make saints and heroes of us? We, who do not deserve it!"

"Felix." Piers said slowly. "This is crazy talk. You're thinking about things too much. Just relax and take things one step at a time."

Felix took a deep breath and look back out the window, at his impatient friends and family. "How do I keep fighting when I don't know what I'm even fighting for?"

"You already know the answer to that." Piers said, starting to walk away. "Find something… or someone. And fight for that."

 

Piers arrived at the gate with Felix just behind him. Felix looked over his friends, remembering each of their faces. He saw Xion laughing with Axel, and felt a strange feeling in his gut. Jealousy?

His sister went to him and gave him a big hug. He returned it, careful not to put pressure on her tender stomach.

"You be careful out there, okay?" Jenna said to him. She was blinking back tears.

In that moment, he realized just how much his sister cared for him, and he felt guilty for being so selfish. He held her, and told her he would.

After other goodbyes were said, the others returned to the palace, leaving Felix and his group. Garet, Piers, Xion, and Axel. They stood around him, waiting.

He stood there with a sinking feeling in his stomach. A kind of despair he just couldn't shake. There was no going back, but he couldn't go forward. Something terrible would happen, of that he was sure. There was so much to take in. Alex, the Organization, Lunos… Mia…

He didn't want to fight anymore. He just wanted to lie down and let the world go dark.

His gaze met the eyes of his companions. Piers had a calm, sagely stare. Garet had fire in his eyes, a never-ending determination. Axel's green eyes were empty. And Xion's…

Felix caught his breath.

He'd forgotten how blue her eyes were. They were so deep, so beautiful. He remembered that night, so many months ago, when he'd first stared into those eyes. He'd felt so similar at that time, so full of despair and anger.

Xion smiled. He knew then. He was doing it all for her. Not to destroy Alex, or to destroy the Organization, or to destroy himself. Not even to save Mia. He was doing this for her.

He smiled back and held up the Teleport Lapis.

"Well, let's go do this, then."

He thought of Venus Lighthouse. There was a flash of light, and they were gone.


	21. Complication

Venus Lighthouse had survived the cataclysm that had occurred on the day of its lighting, but barely so. The foundation upon which the lighthouse had once stood proudly was scarred and broken, and struggled every day to support the monolithic tower. The tower now titled on its side, though its golden beacon still lit the night sky over Lalivero, and could even be seen as far as Suhalla.

Felix and his companions materialized as close to the lighthouse as they could, just beyond the Suhalla gate. The lighthouse was visible a mile or so away. They appeared in the same formation they had disappeared from Kalay in, though the instant they appeared, the Nobodies reacted to the experience of their first teleportation. Axel swayed and leaned against the stone wall beside him, while Xion buckled over and hurled up her breakfast.

"Oh, yeah," Garet said, noticing their condition. "We probably should have warned you about that."

"Gross," Xion moaned, wiping her chin off.

"It's probably better that you didn't tell us," Axel said, massaging his own stomach. "Knowing that was coming would have just made it worse."

"Don't feel bad," Garet laughed. "Nobody does well their first time."

Felix's attention elsewhere as Xion and Axel gathered themselves. His eyes were locked on the glowing tower in the distance. Piers noticed this, and approached him. Felix did not take his eyes off the tower as Piers joined him, but he did speak.

"We'll have to be especially careful from here out," Felix said. "We have no idea where the Organization member will be. They could be inside the tower itself, or they could be waiting in the town or somewhere else nearby. They could even be watching us this very moment."

"I doubt they would know exactly when and where we would arrive," Piers replied with a small smile. "But your caution is not misplaced."

"What are you thinking about?" Felix asked.

"The lighthouse stands on unsteady ground," Piers told him, able to notice its subtle lean from where they stood. "What could have happened to it?"

"The earthquake that triggered the tidal wave," Felix explained. "The one that sent you off course. It was caused by us lighting the beacon. The foundations were damaged."

"Ah yes, I remember that day," Piers said. "I would not even be here had that not happened." He smiled at the memories of his journey, but it quickly faded. "What would happen if the lighthouse should fall into the sea?"

"I have no clue," Felix said. "There were similar concerns for Mars Lighthouse, as the earth beyond it was eroding away, and the Proxians feared it would fall into the abyss. Kraden was worried about it, but he did not know how it would affect the elemental balance, save for us being unable to light the beacon if it was inaccessible. But our chief concern then was not being able to reach Mars. If Venus, which has already been lit, should fall… I really don't know. It could very well damage the elemental balance."

"And Tolbi has done nothing to address the situation?" Piers asked.

Felix shook his head. "Not that I know of. I have heard no news of Tolbi since we passed through Champa and Alex told us of Babi's death. Technically the lighthouse falls into Laliveran territory, but they lack the money or resources to do anything about it. And relations between Tolbi and Lalivero weren't the best last time we passed through."

"That was because your group captured Sheba, right?" Xion said suddenly, rising and moving to join Felix. "Back when that Saturn guy was your leader?"

"Saturos," Felix corrected. "And that's partly why. Babi originally kidnapped Sheba to force the Laliverans to build a tower in honor of him, because he was a megalomaniacal bastard. He was going to give her back to them as a sign of good faith, but their group was attacked by monsters in the desert and she was the only survivor. That's where we came in. Things would have been fine, had we just returned Sheba when we passed through Lalivero. However, that's when Saturos and Menardi went a little crazy and started killing innocent people." Felix's eyes were distant as he told his story, no doubt remembering these events from his first-hand experience.

"Babi was building the tower because he wanted to find Lemuria," Garet said, also joining them. "But you're right about everything else."

Axel lingered behind while the others spoke.

"Are we going straight to the Lighthouse?" Xion asked Felix.

He nodded. "Of course. There's no point in stopping at Lalivero or Suhalla. And there's even less of a point in stopping at Tolbi. We're not exactly welcome faces in this region, and the sooner this is done with, and we are gone, the better."

"And by we, you mean you," Garet said. "Piers was still in Lemuria when all that crazy went down, and these two," he indicated Xion and Axel, "Weren't even on this planet. I, however, was with Isaac when all that insanity went down. We saved Babi in the cave. I'm a hero in these parts. You're the only one from the second group in this team."

"Either way, it would still be wise to avoid unnecessary questioning," Felix said. "Any word of our whereabouts could reach the ears of Organization XIII."

"He's right," Axel said suddenly, his first contribution to their conversation. He rose from where he leaned against the rock wall of the Suhalla Gate and approached them. "As a matter of fact, we should get moving right now, if possible. The Organization is far more resourceful than you would think, so moving quickly and silently is our top priority."

"Indeed," Felix said, turning back to look at the lighthouse. "Do you know which member is posted there?"

"I wish I did," Axel said. "It would give us more options to prepare."

"Then we must keep our eyes and ears open," Felix sighed. "Come, everyone. The lighthouse is an hour from here."

They started off. Garet went to Felix's side and walked beside him.

"Do you remember the trick to getting inside this place?" Garet asked. "The actual entrance is just a decoy. We'll have to go through the ruins under Babi Lighthouse."

"The Laliverans tore down the Babi Lighthouse on the night of Babi's death, in celebration," Piers said. "Or so I've heard from Briggs. If this is true, I doubt those ruins will be accessible anymore."

"Even to Adepts like us?" Garet said doubtfully. "Okay then, how are we going to get in? If we enter from the main entrance a wall of electricity will block our path."

"We have skills now that we didn't have back then," Felix said. "We could use the Teleport Lapis to skip over the electric wall, or I could turn into sand and pass underneath it, and shut off the switch. It shouldn't be a problem. My intention was never to go through the tunnel ruins again, anyway."

"If we do not see the Organization member in the Lighthouse, we will have to search the town for clues," Piers pointed out.

"In that case, I will remain behind," Felix said. "Best to avoid drawing unneeded attention, as I said already."

The terrain around the base of the lighthouse had been damaged by the earthquake. What had once been a quiet forest path was now a rugged and broken slab of rock, with hills and small plateaus in place they hadn't been before. There was little grass, and only a single dead tree stood by the edge of a small cliff. Felix noticed the ocean was much closer than it had been on his last visit.

The terrain was doing little to improve his mood.

As Venus Lighthouse drew closer, they began to make out the shape of something standing before the entrance of the tower, which had not been there before. Felix's eyes grew dark as he realized what it was. An iron gate, attended by two armored guards. The guards noticed them as they drew close, but said nothing. Before they neared ten paces from the gate, the guards crossed their spears.

"No admittance," The guard on the left said. "Begone."

"We need to go into the lighthouse," Garet said.

The soldier on the right chuckled. "Do you not hear, boy? Nobody gets into the lighthouse. Now go away."

Felix crossed his arms. "On whose authority?"

"The Emperor of Tolbi, or course," The first guard said. "Where have you been?"

"Emperor?" Felix scoffed. "A modest title if I ever heard one. Whatever happened to Lord?"

"That was the old Tolbi," said the second guard.

Garet stepped forward. "Hey! Do you know who I am? I'm Garet! I helped save Babi from the Altmiller cave!"

The guards exchanged glances. "When was this?"

"Just before last year's Collosso!" Garet said. "The one Isaac won? I was part of Isaac's company!"

"Oh," said the first guard. "Isaac. I remember that one. Babi's pet, who was elevated above the others and given special privileges with which he won the tourney with."

"He didn't even need to clear the preliminaries," said the other guard, shaking his head.

"Of course you remember when I mention Isaac…" Garet grumbled under his breath.

"A word of advice before you go," said the second guard. "Keep to yourself your association with Babi, should you ever return to Tolbi."

"But we saved his life!" Garet exclaimed. "We can't even get into the lighthouse after we saved your ruler's life?"

"No," said the second guard. "If anything, that would be all the more reason not to allow you entry."

"Babi was not well-liked during his rule, even among his own people," said the first guard. "By saving his life in that cave, you brought upon us another three or so months of his rule. Every day of which was hell. We could have been rid of him then, had you not rescued him."

"There was a search party," Garet pointed out. "You wanted to find him."

"A token effort only," the first guard said. "Trust me, the people of Tolbi were not happy to hear of Babi's rescue that day. Lalivero was even less thrilled."

"We get your point," Felix said. "We are not the most popular people in these parts. We'll be going. Sorry to trouble you."

The second guard simply grunted to affirm Felix's words. The first said nothing, his eyes finding something else to stare at. They turned and left the two guards and the entrance of Venus Lighthouse, walking away until they were beyond the guards' vision. Xion immediately turned to Felix when they stopped.

"What are we going to do?" she asked him.

"There are a few options at our disposal," Felix said, scratching his chin. "The first, and arguably the easiest, would be to simply fight our way in."

Garet and Xion stared at Felix in disbelief. Piers raised an eyebrow. Axel had no visible reaction.

"Is violence always the solution with you?" demanded Xion.

"Why waste time trying to find another way in?" Felix asked. "We don't have to kill them. We just knock them out, do what we need in the lighthouse, and leave. By the time they awaken, we'll be on another continent."

Piers shook his head. "There are too many uncertain variables to consider here. What of the Organization member we are here to find? If he is not in the lighthouse, our search could lead us to Lalivero, or further. During this time, angering the locals could lead to unwanted complications."

"This is already a complication," Felix said. "The less time we spend on each lighthouse, the better. I say we take the most direct route possible to attain Xion's Essences. Even if we do not face the Organization member now, we can always return later and have a proper search. The Teleport Lapis eliminates any travel limitations."

"Precisely," Piers countered. "We do not need to spend weeks traveling from location to location, therefore there is no need to rush things. According to Axel, the Organization is currently crippled, and their members are scattered with no way to reestablish contact. Everyone is still exhausted from the recent battles with Alex and Saix, so I recommend we use this chance to recover while we search for the member posted here."

"I agree," Garet said. "I don't feel like rushing into another battle. Those guards may have been stuck up, but they weren't evil. I'm sure they were just doing their job. We can get in the lighthouse without having to fight them."

"Then what would you recommend we do, Garet?" Felix asked.

"We go to Tolbi," Garet said. "Have a chat with Iodem. He's a reasonable guy. I'm sure he'll give us permission to do our business in the lighthouse."

Felix scoffed. "I doubt Iodem would be very happy to see me. Or would anyone in Tolbi for that matter."

"Well, duh," Garet said. "That's why we don't bring you to the palace. You can wait at the inn or something."

There was silence among them as they considered Garet's plan.

"I don't see any reason not to give it a shot," Xion said. "Worst case scenario, he says no. If that happens, then we can give Felix's plan a shot."

"I agree," Piers said. "It is definitely a better way to go about this than simply fighting our way in."

"What do you think, Axel?" Xion asked the silent red-haired man behind her. He simply shrugged, indifferent to their workings.

"Assuming Axel doesn't care, that's three to one," Piers said. "So at the very least, let's just go to Tolbi and give it a try. Is that okay with you, Felix?"

The Venus Adept sighed. "I guess it is."

 

Ten minutes later, Xion and the others were in the streets of Tolbi, on their way to the palace. Felix was not with them, having stayed behind in a room at the inn.

The streets of Tolbi were bustling. Having only seen Kalay, which was a considerably smaller city by comparison, Xion was awed by the sights.

"This city is massive!" she said. "There's so many people here!"

"You should see it during Colosso." Garet told her. "You think this crowded? It's hard to even walk through the streets with how many people congest the place."

"Even more people than this? That's amazing. Weyard is such an amazing place."

"Meh. It has its ups and downs, I guess."

"What was Colosso like?" Xion asked Garet.

He scowled and replied through his teeth, "I don't know. I didn't get to participate."

"Sorry," Xion apologized. "I didn't mean to bring up any painful memories."

"This entire place is a painful memory," Garet muttered.

"I've actually never been to Tolbi until today," Piers said. "It is quite thriving. Though I must admit, seeing a cheap replica of the fountain of Lemuria back in the town square was less than impressive."

"Babi must have liked the Lemurian fountain so much he had it duplicated here," Garet said.

"He stole more than ideas from us," said Piers. "He took our drought and our Cloak Ball. Babi is no saint to my people. And he was not well-loved in his own home, either. With so many enemies, I'm amazed he lived as long as he did."

"He was pretty secluded when I met him," Garet said. "But that may have been the effects of his age. I remember at the end he spent all day in his bed sleeping, because it helped him ration his use of the draught."

"Pitiful," said Piers, with a disapproving shake of his head.

Xion was quiet as they spoke. The stories of Babi and his clinging to life reminded her a little too much of her own actions. Babi kidnapped a teenage girl because he wanted to live. And Xion was delaying the life of a boy in her own attempts. Was she no different from this… tyrant?

They arrived at the Tolbi Palace, where two stern-looking guards awaited them at the front gate. Before they even drew near, the guards crossed their spears before the door. Xion was suddenly reminded of the guards at Venus Lighthouse.

Piers stepped forward. "Good day. We seek an audience with Lord Iodem."

"It's Emperor Iodem, you fool. Go away."

An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air. After ten painfully long seconds, Piers attempted to break it.

"We really need to see Emperor Iodem. There is a matter of-"

"The Emperor has no business with you. Leave now, or we will make you leave."

"Are all the guards from Tolbi so rude?" Xion asked Garet.

"Silence, slut." said the guard on the left. He pointed his spear at Xion. "Learn your place, or you will be put in it."

"Hey!" Garet exclaimed, stepping forward. "Don't talk to her like that! You're the one who needs to learn their place!"

The guard laughed. "What are you gonna do, boy?"

Garet glared at the guard. He pointed his clenched fist at him and focused his psynergy. A ball of flame appeared around his fist.

"I could punch you with this fist right now," Garet said. "You would explode in a blast of flame. Do you still want to do this dance?"

"He's an Adept," the other guard observed. His hand strayed behind his hip, as though to retrieve something from his belt.

"They likely all are," said the first guard, his spear now pointed at Garet. "Especially that one in the back. The one with the wild hair."

Axel said nothing.

Piers stepped up next to Garet. "Do you remember why we came here in the first place, Garet? We were specifically trying to avoid a violent confrontation with the other set of guards. I think picking a fight with these men would be a very good way to not do that."

"I can't let him get away with what he said to Xion," Garet growled.

"This group gets enough vengeful rage from Felix, Garet," Piers said. "Come now, we're trying to keep a low profile here. You've already shown them you're an Adept. Let's go before we attract more attention. Starting a fight in front of the palace would surely give our presence away to the Organization member, wouldn't it?"

Garet powered down. "You're right. Let's get out of here."

They turned away from the guards and walked away. The jeers and laughter of the guards reached their ears, and Garet clenched his fists, but he did nothing.

Back in the main street of Tolbi, they gathered in a circle to discuss what had just happened.

"I really don't remember people in Tolbi being such asses before," Garet said.

"If we can't see this Iodem guy, then what do we do?" Xion asked. "Really, our only option is to go back to Venus Lighthouse and fight our way in like Felix said."

Piers shook his head. "I do not savor the thought of returning to Felix and telling him he was right."

"Neither do I" Garet said.

"Nor I." Xion added.

They stood there for a while, silently contemplating their failure and their dread of facing Felix and admitting it. Axel suddenly perked up, looking around and trying to locate something.

"What is it?" Xion asked.

"You can't hear that?" Axel said. "It's coming from over… there!" He suddenly ran off, chasing whatever it had been he'd heard. The others exchanged glances and followed after him.

Axel darted through the crowd around him, occasionally drawing glances from the pedestrians, either for his behavior or his hair. Xion and the others swiftly fell behind Axel's hurried pace, but his distinctive hair made it easy to keep him in sight.

"Where the heck is he going?" Garet asked.

"I have no idea," Xion replied. "He said he heard something!"

Axel path led them to a large pub in downtown Tolbi. Axel ran to the front door and darted inside. Xion promptly followed his example, though before she'd even opened the door, her ears picked up on the sound Axel must have heard, a sound she could recognize anywhere.

The playing of a sitar.

She stepped through the door, with Garet and Piers following behind. The pub was dimly lit, and heavily fogged over by the smoke of cigarettes. She coughed a few times, and blew smoke away from her face. The pub had only a few patrons, and she quickly spotted Axel a few paces away. His eyes were on a stage in the corner, where a four member band was playing. She didn't recognize the drummer, singer, or the man playing an acoustic guitar, but she did recognize the fourth member.

Demyx, rocking out on his sitar.

She joined Axel by the stage. They exchanged glances, then looked back up at Demyx. He didn't seem to notice them, being so wrapped up in his music.

Garet and Piers joined them, their expressions asking what they were doing in such a place. Xion pointed up at Demyx, and upon noticing Demyx's black coat, Garet stepped back and reached for the axe strapped across his back. Xion touched his arm and shook her head, indicating the various people in the pub. Piers simply crossed his arms.

The music was too loud for them to hear each other speak, so they said nothing. They waited, each of them watching Demyx carefully. He never gave any indication that he was aware of them. Half of an hour passed, and Demyx's band wrapped up it's show. A few of the patrons clapped. Demyx turned to the other three members of his band and said something to them. They nodded, and they left the pub out the back door, Demyx staying behind. He tucked his sitar under his arm and turned to Xion and Axel.

"Hey, Xion," he said, hopping down from the stage. "And Axel. It's about time somebody showed up."

"Demyx, what are you doing here?" Xion asked.

"I was stationed at Venus Lighthouse to wait for you to show up, duh," he said.

"This isn't Venus Lighthouse, though," Axel pointed out.

"Duh," Demyx repeated. "My band had a gig."

"But why are you in a band?" Xion asked.

"Seriously, it's been like six months and I haven't heard a thing from anyone," Demyx said. "Did you seriously expect me to hang around in that tower all that time? The sand waterfalls were fun for a while, but I got bored, man."

"You haven't heard from anyone?" Axel asked.

"That's what I just said," Demyx replied. "Look, are we going to have this entire conversation right here next to the stage? C'mon, I'll buy everyone drinks."

"Okay," Xion said. "But I'll have water, if that's okay." She gave Garet a look. He shrugged innocently.

The five Adepts and Nobodies ordered drinks and sat at a table in the corner. Garet and Piers were wary of Demyx, but also confused by his behavior. At Xion's request, however, they did nothing.

Demyx sat across from Xion, idly sipping on his drink. He eyed her warily, then his gaze drifted over to Axel. "You guys aren't here to take me back are you?"

"What in the world makes you think we would be here to do that?" Xion demanded. "I'm the rouge, remember? The whole reason you're here is to find me and take me back to the others."

"I guess so," Demyx muttered. "I don't know what to think right now. Axel's with you. I thought you would be caught quickly after I was dispatched here, and the others would contact me and summon me back. But the summon never came, and the months passed with no contact or news from anyone. I tried to go back, but I couldn't summon a Corridor. So please, tell me what has been going on."

Xion and Axel proceeded to tell Demyx of their respective journeys so far, with Xion providing her parts with Felix, and Axel supplying the information about his conflict with the Organization, and the destruction of the castle. Demyx sat watching the entire time, strangely quite and solemn.

They concluded their tale, and Demyx ruminated on things for a while, sipping from his drink. "So the Organization is no more, then?"

"Luxord is dead," Axel said. "Roxas is missing, and Xemnas is in isolation. Everyone else, Saix, Xaldin, Xigbar… Xion and you and I… We're all stuck here. I would say we're finished, at least for the foreseeable future."

"There's really no way back?"

"There was a Gummi Ship, that Saix used to come here. But I wrecked it up. Unless we can figure out how to re-access the Dark Realm and open Corridors again, I see no way of us getting off of Weyard."

Demyx was silent for a moment, then he grinned.

"Oh, well!" he exclaimed. "Sucks to be everyone else, but this is some of the best news I've had… well, since my first life!"

"How is this good news?" Xion demanded.

"Xion, lemme tell you a little story," Demyx said, leaning in. "There once was a little Nobody named Demyx who just wanted to chill out and play his sitar. But he found himself recruited by a bunch of brooding men in black with a nihilism fetish. And then there was Castle Oblivion, and the Keyblade Master, and Kingdom Hearts, and every other thing that could possibly make life hard for poor Demyx. But now these problems have gone away, he's hooked up with some new friends, and he gets to play sitar every weekend for a paying audience. Now you see why this is good news to him?"

Xion and Axel exchanged glances. "So what then?" Xion asked. "You're just going to stay here in this town and play music? Even with all these things going on with everyone else?"

"I doesn't affect me," Demyx said, sitting back with a grin. "You said the Organization is no more, right? Well, everything you do now is your own personal business. Go get your Essences or whatever. Kill off all the other members for all I care. All I ever was to Xemnas was a kid to send off on recon missions, and they sent me here to get me out of the way. Well, I'm out of the way now. Thank you for torching the castle, Axel, but I'll be going to have my own life from this point on." He rose and went off towards the back entrance, where his band mates no doubt waited.

"If you don't try to stop us, that makes you a traitor to the Organization!" Axel called after him.

"Perhaps if there was still an Organization left to betray!" Demyx called back without turning. "Ciao!"

Xion and Axel watched as Demyx left, a strange feeling of disappointment having taken them. Xion then turned to Axel and glared at him.

"Did you want him to fight us?" she asked.

"It's not that," Axel said. "Demyx always hated traitors. It was the one thing he was serious about. I thought if I invoked that, I could get him to rethink things."

"But for what purpose?" Piers asked suddenly.

Axel looked down at his drink and sighed. "If we could just get Demyx to pick a side, it would simplify things. But he wants to be neutral. How is our very angry friend Felix going to react when he hears this?"

"I know exactly what he'll do," Garet said. "He assume it's an elaborate trick, and he'll go after Demyx, screaming for his blood."

"I'm sure he won't," Xion said, but her eyes said otherwise.

"Axel has a point," Piers said. "Felix will not be content with the knowledge that there is an Organization member here in the city. He will want to take action."

"This Demyx guy doesn't seem too bad," Garet said. "His hairdo is absolutely awful, but I don't think he deserves to die. And knowing Felix… He'll kill him before the guy can get a single word out."

"Felix is certainly rash enough that I wouldn't put it past him," Piers said sadly.

"So what do we do?" Xion asked.

They all thought silently for a few minutes.

"How about we just don't tell him?" Garet suggested.

"That might work," Xion said.

Piers shook his head. "That could be even worse. What if Felix is walking around and he just randomly stumbles across Demyx? Instant warfare in the streets."

"How long will we even be here?" Axel asked.

"Until we can find a way into Venus Lighthouse," Piers replied.

"Then we can't let Felix out of the inn until we can see the leader of this city and sort this business out," Garet said.

"We can't just keep him cooped up in there all day!" Xion said.

"We can," Garet said. "In fact, he already doesn't want to go anywhere because of the thing with Saturos. This is a problem that's already solved itself."

"Poor Felix," Xion muttered.

"Ah, he needs some time to relax anyway," Garet said.

"Some time has passed, though," Axel said. "If we want to keep our story believable, we'd better head back soon and tell him we weren't able to get in the palace."

"Good point. Let's go." Garet rose and the others followed after him.

As they walked back to the inn, Garet walked beside Xion. "What did you think of the music?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she said. "I wasn't really listening to it. I was thinking about other things."

"What kind of things?"

"Demyx, obviously. I was wondering if we would have to fight him."

"It would seem not," Garet said, glancing back at the pub on instinct.

"I hope not," Xion said softly. "Really, he's not a very bad guy. Not like the others. We were never really friends, but I never felt any kind of hostility towards him."

Garet was silent for a moment, thinking about what she said. "Are you sure it was Demyx you were thinking about?"

Xion looked at him. "Of course it was. Who do you think I was thinking about?"

"Nothing," Garet said with a sly little smile. Then he strode on ahead to talk to Piers.

"Well, that was weird," Xion said, shaking her head.

 

The two guards walking behind their captain were on edge. They kept as far a distance as they could possibly manage from their captain, while also trying not to look as though they were. They were careful not to walk too loudly, or to attract his attention in any way, and they hadn't utter a single word since they'd been with him. And for a good reason.

They both had families back home. And every guard in Tolbi had heard the stories about this man and his famous temper. So they were doing their best to not be noticed.

The captain went to the throne room and stopped at the large ornate door. He turned back to the two guards and looked directly at them.

They did their best not to shake.

"Wait here," he said simply. He pushed the doors open and stepped through.

The two guards were more than happy to follow his orders.

The captain went before his emperor and knelt upon his knee.

"What news do you bring me?" Iodem asked.

The captain rose. "I have received two similar reports today. First, from the men posted at the lighthouse. Second, from the guards at the entrance to this very palace. A group of young folk have appeared and attempted to enter each, within an hour of each other. The guards said these children had hair befitting of Adepts."

Iodem leaned forward in his throne. "Is that right? What else have they said? Was the one I await with them?"

The captain shook his head. "Not from the reports. But the men at the lighthouse said one of them claimed to have saved Babi at Altmiller cave a while back. A fiery one with red hair."

"Ah, that would be Garet," Iodem said, sitting back in his seat. "I remember him. He was a fool, who insulted Babi by using his tongue before his brain. I never did like him."

"So they are Adepts then?" The captain asked. His normally cold eyes widened with excitement at the prospect of finally going up again Adepts.

"Most certainly," Iodem said. "So you know what to do. Remember, we only need one of them. If you can bring me one, then the others will follow."

The captain flashed his toothy grin and turned to leave.

"One last thing!" Iodem called after him. "Please stop killing my guards. I know it looks really cool and evil, but competent guards are actually rather hard to find."

"I make no promises," replied the captain, as he stepped outside.


	22. The Wretched

Felix paced impatiently across the wooden floor of the small room. He was not exactly a man known for being impatience, but today said patience was wearing thin. Xion and the others had been gone for nearly an hour already, and he hadn't felt comfortable sending them off alone in the first place. Much less with Axel going with them.

Had it not been for Saturos and Menardi, he could have gone with them. But because of their murderous spree during the Venus Lighthouse portion of the journey, he was something of a wanted man. The people the Proxians killed at that time were alchemists and soldiers, both of which were respected professions in Tolbi. On top of that, they had taken Sheba hostage, which had paid out for them in the end, but also derailed any chance at a peaceful resolution to the hostilities between Tolbi and Lalivero.

Felix was concerned for the safety of Xion, Piers, and Garet. Axel was with them, a person who Felix expected to betray the group at any moment. Xion's unwavering faith in him did little to alleviate these suspicions. And with Felix confined to another location for the time, Axel would have his best to chance to act.

He had raised the issue with Xion before they left, and requested that Axel remain at the inn with Felix, but she would have had none of it. She had told Felix that he was being paranoid.

Perhaps he was. But he wasn't going to lower his guard on the chance that he was simply over thinking things. Decisions like that led to dead teammates. He couldn't take their lives into his hands and then slack off like that.

Still, it was hard to feel like a leader when he was stuck in a cramped hotel room.

And it wasn't just Axel that worried Felix. Somewhere out there, another member of Organization XIII was waiting. If they encountered this member without him, they would have no way of alerting him to it. After what had happened with Saix at the party, Felix was not taking any further chances. Axel had been right back at the Suhalla Gate; even broken, the Organization was still a cunning and dangerous force. The fact that a single one of them had managed to disable an entire room full of Adepts without even revealing his presence was proof enough of that.

Felix did not want to linger in the area. The sooner Xion had her Essences and became a full being, the better. It was Felix's hope that if Xion was no longer a Nobody, then the Organization would turn its attention elsewhere, and give them the upper hand. For even if the Organization withdrew at that very moment, there was no chance Felix would forgive them. Not after what they did to Mia.

And if she did truly still live, then Felix would kill them all to save her.

That the others wanted to go about this much more convoluted plan of seeking permission to enter the lighthouse was absurd to him. Had they simply done things his way, they could have been gone already.

On top of that, there was no guarantee that Iodem would be in a bargaining mood. Something about the fact that he now called himself Emperor bothered Felix. He had never met Iodem in person, but Isaac and the members of his group had sometimes spoken of the man. They said he was friendly to a degree, but more often he was quiet in conversation and focused on the task at hand. Something about that just bothered Felix.

Perhaps it sounded too much like himself.

There were simply too many uncertain variable to consider in their current situation. Axel, Felix's reputation, the unrevealed Organization member, Emperor Iodem…

Too many things that could go wrong while he simply sat alone in a small room.

He had been pacing already, but he doubled his efforts. He wanted to go and find them, and make sure nothing had happened. He could feel the minutes ticking by. If they had just been meeting with Iodem, surely they should have returned by now. Going to see the ruler of a city couldn't take more than an hour…

He sat down on the room's single bed and sighed. Xion was right, he was letting things get to his head. He chuckled to himself. Things weren't as bad as he was making them out to be.

He looked through everyone's bags until he found something to occupy his time with. Piers' book of Lemurian poetry. Well, better than nothing.

He sat down of the bed and propped himself up against the back wall, using the pillow for comfort. He then opened Piers' book and started to read.

Poetry had never really been his thing. He'd been forced to read a few in his early childhood, while studying under Kraden. He hadn't exactly enjoyed them, but he never hated it either. When he was taken to Prox, he had gone to the town library, but there hadn't been much original writing there. Mostly historical accounts and writings on Alchemy and local legends.

Overall, Felix knew the essentials, but he was far from an expert. It was clear upon merely opening the book however, that Piers was.

The first poem he saw was a Lemurian Aria, which had quite possibly the most intensely structured rhyme scheme he'd ever seen. It had nine lines, which went from ten syllables in the first two lines, eight syllables in the next two, six in the middle line, and then reversed the pattern with eight and then ten in the last four lines. All the odd lines had consistent masculine rhymes, and the even were feminine.

On top of all that, it was written in a very elegant script, the letters of each word flowing into the next without stop. Unnecessary twirls and embellishments made it look pompous and pretentious.

Even without all this complexity, reading the actual verse was still next to impossible. Though most of it was in common tongue, a lot of the words were foreign to Felix. Perhaps they were from another language, or they were simply archaic and no longer used. Considering that it was from Lemuria, it was probably the latter.

Either way, Felix had no clue what the damn poem was about.

Felix flipped through the book, hoping to find something he could understand. Much to his chagrin, the entire six-hundred pages of verse were just as bad, if not worse, than the first. Felix flipped right to the end, where he was somewhat surprised to find the last twenty or so works had been coined by Piers himself.

He still couldn't understand them.

"Holy hell, Piers…" Felix muttered, with a shake of his head. He checked the front of the book, hoping there might be a publication date that might give him a hint in the mystery of Piers' age. Naturally, there was nothing. With a defeated sigh, Felix returned the book to Piers' bag.

His boredom renewed, Felix resumed his pacing. His internal clock reminded him that more time had passed with no mention.

"What could possibly be taking them so long?" he said softly. As if in response to him, his ears caught the sound of excited voices from the street below. He dashed to the window and looked down. He let out a dejected sigh when he saw that it was indeed a group of teenagers, just not the ones he was expecting.

He turned away from the window, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye that made his heart stop.

In the shadows of the back alley across the street, stood a man in the very recognizable Organization coat. He was standing without moving, his arms crossed. A single visible eye stared directly at the inn. Directly at Felix.

Felix reacted without a moment's hesitation. He grabbed the Sol Blade from his bedside and threw it across his back, and bolted out the door. He ran down the stairs of the inn, and out the front door. A few people were startled by him, but he could really care less.

He scoured the streets when he saw the Organization member had moved from the alley. He saw the one-eyed silhouette watching him from around the corner, and charged after him. His quarry darted in the other direction.

He didn't want to have this battle in the middle of the street, but his options were limited. Hopefully Xion and the others would notice the ruckus the battle would cause, and come to help. Felix wasn't worried about the Tolbi soldiers, all they could do was get in the way.

The others had wanted to do things the subtle way, but that option was out the window now, almost literally. The Organization member knew they were there. The element of surprise was gone, so they had no choice but to act as they could.

And all Felix could do now was chase the Organization member and hopefully catch him.

The one-eyed man kept a distance from him, though not by much. Surprisingly, he wasn't running through alleys and back streets as Felix would have guess, but running right down the main street. He must have wanted to be seen, because every pedestrian took notice of the pursuit. Felix wondered why, when the Organization was so known for being esoteric and subtle.

The member ran right to the center of the city, stopping just in front of the fountain. Felix came to a stop and watched him warily.

"I know who you are, or at least what that coat you wear means," Felix said. "I assume you know who I am. So you must know what this means."

"I know exactly what is means," said the man, who turned around. He was younger than Felix had expected, with long silver hair. He wore a black cloth around his forehead, which covered one of his eyes. "We are going to fight."

"Good," Felix said, drawing his sword. "Straightforward. Much better than your teammates."

All around them, civilians were taking notice of the event occurring in the center of their town. To them, after chasing down a man in a black coat, another man was drawing a large sword. They were clearly about to fight. The civilians were wisely backing away, and many had run off, some to find safety, and others to alert the guard.

Felix held the Sol Blade, and pointed the tip of its blade directly at the silver-haired kid in front of him. "Go on. Draw your weapon."

The silver-haired kid said nothing, only adjusting his blindfold so that it covered both eyes. Then he extended his wrist and a red and black sword appeared in his hands. Felix said nothing - he'd seen stranger things before.

Not giving the kid the courtesy of chivalry, Felix charged directly at him, swinging his blade for his enemy's throat. He hoped his opponent was merely insane, and the blindfold would give him a quick and easy victory. But he knew better than to assume such, so he was ready when the boy dodged with a low crouch.

Felix jumped and landed on the rim of the fountain and brought his sword down. The boy countered with a fluid movement of his blade, capturing Felix's sword and pushing it off to the side. Then he brought his free hand and delivered an open palm blow right at Felix's hip, pushing him back and into the water of the fountain.

Felix landed at the bottom of the shallow fountain, and a crab hastily scurried away. Felix rose, and wiped the water out of his eyes. This kid didn't need to see, apparently. His skill with a blade was impressive, possibly better than anyone Felix had ever faced. It only took two strokes for Felix to realize that. Felix was accomplished swordsman himself, but he doubted he could match this kid. Ranged combat, then.

Felix leaped off to the side, and summoned stone spires to drop on his enemy. The silver-haired boy reacted about as casually as he expected he would, practically stepping aside to avoid the attack.

"Adept!" exclaimed a pedestrian. Several observers shouted out similarly, and others cursed. A few more ran off, thinning the observers even more.

The boy did nothing, simply standing where he was, waiting for Felix to make the first move. A very defensive fighter, it would seem. Felix realized he would have to rethink his strategy if he wanted to beat him, for simply attacking him while he waited would result in more casual dodges.

Felix cast Gaia on the ground beneath the boy's feet, and he predictably jumped back to avoid it. But Felix was expecting that. He then followed up with a Stone Spire aimed to strike right where the boy landed. He wouldn't have time to dodge.

He didn't. Instead, a white energy surrounded the boy's blade, and he swung it in a wide upwards arc as the spire came down upon him. The stone was split clean in half, and the two pieces landed on either side of the boy without ever touching him.

Felix blinked. Impressive. So two-attack combos were no good. He would have to spam relentless Psynergy attacks if he wanted to catch this kid off-guard. He sheathed his blade. No sense in keeping it drawn if he was focusing on Psynergy, he figured.

Felix was planning his next assault when a voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Freeze, Asshole!"

He turned around to find a group of six Tolbi soldiers standing in a line behind him, their spears drawn and pointed at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" he asked them. "Go away, I'm in the middle of a serious fight here."

"The u-use of Psynergy or other a-a-alchemical arts is prohibited in public space!" one of the guards stammered out. "W-we have to take you in!"

"Beat it, man," Felix said. He cast Move on the guard, idly pushing him back. The guard in question flailed his arms around in panic, not comprehending the force gently moving him against his will. "I don't want to hurt you guys."

The other guards watched their companion being pushed by an invisible hand with jaws agape. They turned towards Felix with fear in their eyes and backed away slowly.

"Incompetent soldiers," said another, more steady voice. "What have I told you countless times? You don't try to reason with an Adept. You just blast them with a Grenade."

"A what?" Felix looked up to the raised street above the fountain where the voice was emanating. But before he could see who was speaking, an explosion hit him and he was knocked back. The blast didn't hurt, per se - but the sensation that hit Felix immediately after was far worse than pain. It felt like every ounce of strength was being drained from his body, like he was being drained of blood in mere seconds. He suddenly felt numb, weak, hungry, dizzy, naseaus… seemingly every unpleasant sensation he could imagine at once. His vision was suddenly too blurry and unfocused for him to make out anything aside from a hazy blue tint that must have been the sky.

His thoughts were as dull and unfocused as his sensations. He could hardly give himself the mental command to move, much less actually muster up the strength to do it. All he could manage was to twitch his fingers, and even that felt like pushing a boulder.

He could vaguely tell that several men were kicking him savagely as he lay on the ground. He didn't feel any of it. He was just too numb. It was hard to even care.

The blue tint that was the sky was obscured by someone very tall standing over him. He could see the guards from before moving away as this new person stood over him. The very tall man said something to Felix that sounded like it was coming from underwater, then took something very he had on his shoulder and slammed it down on Felix's face a few times.

The last thing Felix managed to see was a fuzzy shape of silver and black slipping away in the darkness.

 

"Dear gods, what happened here?"

Xion stopped at the sound of Piers' exclamation. She looked up, her gaze having previously been locked on her feet as she was deep in thought.

The city square they had passed on their way to the palace, and again on the way to the bar, had a huge hole in the middle of it, as though someone had burst out of the ground. There were also two shattered piles of stone.

"Somebody was fighting here," Garet observed. "If I didn't know any better…"

"Venus Psynergy," Piers said. "Felix."

"Is he okay?!" Xion exclaimed. "Where is he?!"

Garet placed a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, we just got here. Let's ask somebody."

"It happened right in the middle of town, so somebody had to have seen it." Axel assured her.

Piers approached one of the civilians, who was standing by the hole in front of the fountain. "Hey, what happened here?"

"You didn't see it?" the civilian asked. "Where were you?"

"The bar," Piers replied.

"Oh, I see. That's all the way on the other side of town," the civilian scratched his head. "Where to begin… This Adept, he was chasing a guy in a black coat around town like a psycho."

Xion and Garet exchanged glances.

"The Adept cornered him here and was waving this huge sword around and trying to start shit," the civilian continued. "I don't think the guy in the black coat wanted to fight."

Xion face palmed. "Felix found Demyx…" she said under her breath.

"The guy in the coat then all went and knocked the Adept in the fountain," the civilian continued, grinning. "That part was pretty funny. But then the Adept got all pissed and started using his magic biz to jack up our town. That wasn't. Now we can't use out Lucky Medals at the fountain until they fix it. Which will take them forever, I just know it. And I just found one in some guy's dresser, too. I was all excited to use it and everything…"

"What happened after that?" Piers inquired.

"The guards showed up and arrested the Adept. The guy in the coat just slipped off, all mysterious-like. He was awesome. He had some seriously great hair."

Garet raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you, sir. You have been most informative." Piers left the civilian and returned to the group.

"Felix must have left the inn to find us, and saw Demyx as he was leaving," Xion said. "I knew this was going to happen! Why is he so aggressive?"

"What I want to know is how the Tolbi guards actually managed to arrest him," Garet mused. "Seriously, did they grind out fifty levels since I was here or something? What is up with these guys lately?"

"We have to go to the castle and get Felix out!" Xion insisted.

"We tried going to the castle already, remember?" Garet said. "They insulted Axel's hair and didn't let us in."

"Then we'll fight our way in!" Xion growled. "And then we'll fight our way into Venus Lighthouse! Why did we ever try to do this the peaceful way, anyway?"

"First, we have to find Demyx and get a better account of what happened here," Axel said. "I don't think Piers' friend over there has it all together."

"Good idea," Piers said. "But where can we find him?"

"Behind the bar?" Axel suggested.

"Worth a shot," Garet said. They all nodded and turned and headed back towards the bar, leaving a very exasperated Xion.

"But, guys!" she called, running after them. "We mighty not have time for this! What if Felix needs our help?"

"I'm sure he's fine!" Garet called back to her, "He's probably in a cozy little jail cell right now, only in danger of dying of boredom."

 

Felix returned to consciousness by way of a sobering bucket of water to the face. It felt like being hit in the face by a brick.

The first thing he took note of was that he was still weakened by whatever that blast had been. He had recovered slightly… but only slightly. He could roll his head around, maybe even crawl if he had to, but there was so way he could possibly fight his way out of whatever situation he was in.

That brought him to the second matter… what had happened and where was he? The last thing he remembered was fighting an Organization member in the streets, then getting hit by some sort of explosion that but him in the state he was in.

"Wakey, wakey…" the voice that spoke was low and gruff, and without even a touch of kindness.

Felix pried his eyelids open. He was in some kind of dungeon, in a chair and slumped over a table. Mostly likely the one under the palace. His weapon was gone, though he doubted he could even lift it in the state he was in. He raised his head. A man sat at the opposite side of the table, watching him intently. The man was quite a sight, and not the kind you wanted to wake up to. He wore heavy armor with an even heavier robe that covered the lower half of his face. His skin was eerily pale - almost white. He had no eyebrows, though his eyelids were painted a pale shade of blue, and a strange symbol decorated his forehead. His hair was shocking spikey and green, and he had a sheathed sword that was longer than he was tall propped up against the table.

"Welcome back to the waking world, Adept," the man spat the last word.

"Who… are you?" Felix asked, short of breath when he tried to speak.

"The name is Blados," he said, "At least, that's my codename. You won't be alive long enough to care about the name I was born with. Go ahead and get it out of your system. Ask me all the necessary questions."

"My companions!"

"Not here. But hopefully we'll be seeing them soon."

Felix tried to sit up, but the room spun around him. "What did you do to me…?" he groaned.

"A Psy Grenade," Blados said. "We developed them specifically to deal with you freak shows. It doesn't do a thing to regular humans, but to Adepts, having all your Psynergy drained is excruciating, isn't it?"

So his Psynergy had been drained. That explained a few things. "We…?"

"The Alchemists of Tolbi," Blados explained. "You know Kraden, don't you? Why do you think he was sent to your village in the first place? The information he brought back with him allowed us to finally find a way to bring your kind down to our level."

Felix tried to rise again, this time anticipating the wave of nausea. He rode it out and managed to stay upright. But he knew he had no chance of escaping. He was unarmed, and so drained of Psynergy he couldn't have mustered up his weakest spell. It was all he could do just to sit up.

"So what now, then?" Felix asked. "I'm sure you didn't bring me down here just to have a friendly chat."

Blados rose from his chair, his pale lips curling into a twisted grin. "You're not stupid at all, are you? Almost makes me respect you."

He slowly drew the sword from it's sheath, revealing a good seven feet of blade. He pointed the tip at Felix's face.

"Compensating?" Felix couldn't help but smirk.

"Laugh while you can," Blados said. "You will not live to see the morrow."

Blados pressed the edge of the blade up against the side of Felix's neck, digging into the skin almost gently. A drop of red blood ran down to his chest, leaving behind a crimson trail. Felix held his breath, anxious but not afraid. Blados' grin faded.

"A shame it will not be my hand that ends you," he said, sliding his massive blade back in its sheath.

The door opened behind Blados, admitting a man dressed in fine garb, with a trim beard and cold eyes.

"You have done well to bring this one to me, Blados," said the man. "But there is still more to be done. Wait outside for me."

Blados nodded and left without another word. The bearded man turned to Felix and stared at him for a minute, then took the seat Blados had left, sitting across from Felix.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"If I had to guess…" Felix replied. "I would say you're 'Emperor' Iodem."

Iodem sat back and smiled, though there was no hint of mirth in it. "You would be guessing right."

The Emperor reached within the folds of his regal cloak and conjured a flask. He took a swing and offered it to Felix, who raised his eyebrow.

"You'll be dead soon," he said. "Might as well taste whiskey one last time."

Felix took the flask, but did not drink from it. Instead he poured a few drops in his hand and applied it to his bleeding neck. He kissed so slightly, thinking of how such minor stings of pain were enough to draw an audible reaction from him, yet when taking a sword through the chest, he felt nothing.

The pain did clear his head a bit

Felix handed the flask back to Iodem, who had remained deadpan the entire time. Iodem took another drink and replaced the cap.

"We're all wretched, aren't we?" he said, looking off to the side at nothing in particular. "There is no true joy in this world. Only the drive to move forwards. In this drive, we lose sight of the things we once enjoyed. Our existence revolves around our will to achieve."

Felix said nothing. It wasn't clear if Iodem was speaking to Felix, or just himself.

"The gods have forsaken us," Iodem continued. "They abandoned us on this plane long ago, when we use Alchemy to raise towers, to sail ships through the skies, and to bring back the dead to march under our banners. They left us, and never looked back to see the wretched shell of a world Weyard has become.'

"So if there is no hope for forgiveness, and no hope for joy, this leaves only the quest for power. To be accepted, to love, and to control. These are the three longings of our kind. I once desired one of the first two, before I realized the world we were in. Before you lit the lighthouses."

Iodem turned to Felix. "Few know it, but this world was meant to die. Alchemy was too much for us. We abused it, and we forgot our place. The slow death of our world, choked off from its lifeblood, was our just deserts for our crimes. And you… you denied us our catharsis. You denied us the liberation we would have felt in those final moments, as we huddled together, watching the tiny island speck that had once been our home shrivel away to nothing. I came to know these things when I saw the light from Venus rise and soar through the sky on that fateful night. And I knew then that it was you who had done it. Saturos was dead. Isaac was in Babi's pocket. Only you remained among them. So it had to be you who lit the beacons.'

"So therefore, everything that I did from that point on… It was you who set my hand in motion. You will answer for my crimes against the gods, and against the rule of the world, for it was you who denied us our revelation."

Felix stared back at him. "It was not justice that the innocent people of this world should suffer for crimes committed centuries ago. It is only spite. Petty vengeance. Not all people are corrupted. A person has the power to make a choice. Your actions are nobody's fault but your own. I did not deny you some bullshit salvation, I saved you from death."

Iodem rose. "So you accept responsibility for what you have done, Felix?"

"I accept responsibility for what I alone have done," Felix answered back. "You should follow my example."

Iodem turned to Felix and moved to leave the room, stopping at the door. "We shall see how strongly this faith you have in mankind lasts once the sun sets, and I show you what will deliver you to the arms of death. You will see just what horrors humanity can create."

Iodem then opened the door and stepped outside, Blados appeared in the doorway and said to Felix: "Until tonight, Adept…" Then he closed the door.

Felix considered his scenario. Blados had said that Xion and others weren't there, but could he believe the man? It was possible that they would learn of what had happened in the town square, and try to rescue him, but such an attempt would likely fail. They had no knowledge of the Psy Grenades, and would be as unprepared for them as Felix had been.

As for Felix escaping himself… without weapons or Psynergy, it was hardly feasible. He was as weak as a kitten in his current state, and with how long it took Psynergy to replenish itself over time, Felix would have to rest at least a full night to regain his full capacity. The entire castle was patrolled by guards armed with a weapon that would take him down in a single blow, and as silly as that massive sword had been, Blados clearly knew how to use it.

So this had been the Organization member's plan, he realized. Draw attention to Felix and get him caught. And he had played into it like a fool. He cursed his own foolishness. It should have been obvious to him when the member lured him out to the fountain and refused to strike back against him.

Over the time he'd been awake, he had regained a minute amount of Psynergy through his natural regeneration. Possibly enough for one of his utility techniques. But could any of them get him away? Move was useless, and so was Growth. Sand could get him under the doorway, but with such a little amount of Psynergy left to use, it couldn't last long enough for him to actually escape. Tremor could possibly surprise the guards, but it wouldn't be enough. His healing spells were useless. He ran through the list. What had he forgotten…?

Of course! Teleport! He had the Teleport Lapis in his pocket! It would be just enough for him to get away. Felix say upright in renewed excitement and reached into his pocket…

To find nothing. He sighed. They had taken it. To them, it would have been nothing more than a rock necklace, but they were no fools. He didn't have any of his bestowing items on him.

There truly was no way to escape. He was going to die. He prayed the others would not try to save him, though he already knew they would.

Felix bowed his head and did not move until dusk had come, and the door opened.


	23. Corona Radiata

The sun was just barely peeking out from the horizon when Xion, Garet, Axel, and Piers finally found Demyx. They spotted him, along with the other three members of his band, hanging out in a back alley in one of the seedier parts of Tolbi, smoking cigarettes. Or what Xion hoped were cigarettes.

"You ever gonna ditch that coat, Dem?" the drummer asked.

Demyx shook his head. "No. No, probably not."

"Why not?"

"I like my coat. It keeps me warm."

"But it looks completely out of place," the singer said. "We're not a goth band. If we're going to establish a theme, you'll have to ditch it sometime. It clashes with our outfits."

"I have no idea what else to wear, man," Demyx said. "I love this coat. Its so dark and edgy, and you can pull the hood up and hide your identity."

"I kinda like it," the guitarist said. "I wouldn't mind having one myself."

"You see what I mean?" Demyx said. "This thing is cool."

"Where can I get one?" the guitarist asked.

"No idea."

"You didn't buy it?"

"No, my old boss gave it to me. We all wore them, all of us who worked back at the Organization."

"That's what it was called? Just 'the Organization'?"

"Organization XIII. Even though there were fourteen of us. Maybe even fifteen actually, if you count that Moogle. That guy was weird. He had a shop, but really… I don't know what he was even doing there."

"The hell is a Moogle?" the drummer asked.

"They're these little… bear-ish things with tiny wings and pom-poms on their heads. I guess."

"That sounds fucking weird."

"Tell me about it," Demyx said. "I've seen all kinds of bizarre things. They used to send us to this one world, and man it was filled with some of the most backasswards things. Cats that disappeared, people shaped like paying cards, potions that shrunk you… the list goes on."

"Huh."

"Yeah. I hated that stupid job. Always making me do things."

"Oh, I get it!" the singer said. "That must be where you got the idea for themed clothes. From your job thing you used to do."

"Yeah, but in hindsight, I think it might clash with our anti-establishmental lyrics."

"How so?" the drummer asked.

"Conformity, man." Demyx replied. "How can we claim to be against conformity if we're all dressed the same?"

"Good point. Okay then, no uniforms."

"I wrote a new song guys," said the guitarist.

Everyone groaned.

"What?"

"You songs are weak, man," Demyx said. "No offense or anything."

"Well maybe I'll just go and start my own side project!" said the guitarist. "Maybe I'll even start my own band."

"You won't," the singer said. "You love us too much."

"You're right, I won't."

"Besides, if you left the band where would you crash every night?"

"Not at your house, I guess."

"Damn straight."

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere."

"I'll tell you what. I'll check it out, and if I think its any good, we'll play it."

"Really?"

"No promises now. I just said I'd look at it."

"Killer."

"Man, this stuff is good," the drummer said. "Where'd you get it?"

"From that Terry guy," the singer said. "The one who hangs around playing Lucky Dice all the time."

"Ah, the porno mustache guy," Demyx said. "He's funny. I didn't know he dealt."

"No, he doesn't. He just had some on him, and we chatted outside after the gig and he was nice enough to give me some."

"Just gave it to you?" the drummer said. "Well, that was nice of him."

"Yeah, he's a great guy."

"Well, who did he buy it from, then?" Demyx asked.

"Uh… I think Mike. The guy who hangs around at the fountain."

"Oh him. He's weird."

"DEMYX!" Xion exclaimed, abruptly interrupting their dialogue. "We need to talk to you!" She ran over to Demyx and the band members, with Garet, Axel, and Piers following behind her.

Demyx turned to her. "You again? I thought I made it clear that I'm not helping you in whatever it is you're trying to do."

"This isn't about that," she said. "Can we talk to you alone?"

Demyx glanced at his band mates, then took a long drag of his cigarette, finishing it off. He tossed it on the ground and stomped on it. "Yeah, sure. Can we have some privacy, you guys?"

"Okay," said the singer. The other three members opened the door behind them and stepped inside, briefly revealing a very bohemian living room littered through with pizza boxes, magazines, and musical instruments.

Demyx leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, the dim light of the nearby lamp casting shadows across his face in a very noir fashion. "So what can I do for you guys? Or just Xion, since she seems to be the only one in your group taking charge in any way."

Garet glared at Demyx. Piers rolled his eyes. Axel said nothing.

"You fought with Felix didn't you?" Xion demanded.

"Who?"

"Our companion," Garet explained. "Long brown hair, green cloak, has a big sword. He's a real friendly guy."

"I've never seen anyone like that in my life," Demyx said.

"You're lying!" Xion exclaimed. "You and Felix were fighting earlier today at the town fountain!"

"Nope," Demyx said.

"Liar!"

"I'm not lying," he insisted. "You should rethink your question before asking me again."

Piers stepped forward. "It wasn't you, then?"

"Bingo!" Demyx said.

"Then who was it?" Garet asked. "That guy at the fountain said it was someone wearing your black coat."

"Someone, yeah," Demyx said. "But not me. I didn't see it happen, myself. But news spreads, you know? All I heard about the fight was that an angry guy with a big sword went after a kid wearing our coat. He had silvery hair and he wore a blindfold. Doesn't sound like anybody I remember at the Organization. Maybe they recruited new members?"

"Blindfold!" Xion exclaimed. "That's Riku!"

"Quit exclaiming things, Xion," Demyx said. "You're hurting my ears."

"Riku is here, looking for me," Xion said. "Felix must have seen him and thought he was the member posted at the lighthouse!"

"Duh," sighed Demyx.

"Wait a minute!" Garet said, stepping up in front of Demyx. "You've known there was somebody running around town wearing your Organization's uniform, and you didn't think to tell us? Or even respond in any way aside from loitering around with your band all day?"

"I didn't want you to think I actually cared about your business." Demyx replied, as casually as he could manage.

"You're an ass!" Garet fired back.

"Look, man," Demyx said. "I just want to be left alone to do my own thing, okay? I'm tired of being roped into other people's business. No more adventure, okay? I just want to play music."

Garet stepped back, shaking his head.

"We're not going to try to force you to help us, Demyx," Xion said. "But we… well I'm sure if its fair to call us friends, but we're not enemies. You should have known we would have wanted to know about something like this. You could have had the consideration to try to find us."

"You clearly already knew about it!" Demyx answered back, irritation rising in his voice. "You came to me to ask me if it was me involved, and I told you I wasn't. What more do you want from me?"

Xion blinked for a moment, then bowed her head. "You're right."

Demyx sighed. "Well, you spent some time looking for me, so I guess I shouldn't send you off with nothing."

Xion looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Your friend was taken to the palace dungeons, right?" Demyx said. "And if I know anything about you, you're going to try to break him out. I have to warn you not to do that. The Emperor of Tolbi, Iodem… he's one screwed up guy. When the previous Emperor died, he came out and had this public speech about how a group of Adepts were to blame for his death."

"We were not!" Garet exclaimed.

Demyx stared at him for a moment. "Wait, he was talking about you guys? Seriously, how many weird coincidences are there in this place?"

"We suspect a malevolent entity is behind it," Piers sighed.

"In any case, I thought I should warn you guys," Demyx continued. "That Iodem guy, he's pretty serious. He really hates Adepts. Your friend is probably dead already."

Xion's heart skipped a beat.

"What did you say?" she demanded.

"Adepts don't come to Tolbi anymore," Demyx said. "They kill them. I'm trying to tell you not to try to save your friend. Even if you break into the palace, you're probably too late already."

Xion turned to Garet and Piers. They nodded, and they took off running in the direction of the palace, leaving behind a confused Demyx.

 

"Is it time already?" Iodem asked, turning around. Blados stood behind him, with Felix bound tightly and slumped on the floor at his feet.

"The sun has set," Blados said. "So whenever you're ready. I personally can't wait, which is why I brought him already."

"Felix is special," Iodem said. "We must not rush things. He could very well be the one we've been waiting for. But you are right, we should be beginning soon."

Iodem turned and went behind his throne. He ran his hands across the wall, his finger slipping into a small switch. There was a click, and he stepped back. The wall opened, revealing a hidden chamber.

"Felix, tonight you will witness true horror," Iodem said to the bound Adept. "The unspeakable evils Alchemy is capable of."

The Emperor turned. "Blados, bring him."

 

The guards that awaited them were the same guards as the first time they had attempted to enter the palace. As Xion and the others drew near, they raised their spears just as they had the first time.

"You people again?" the first guard said. "Begone, you have no business in the palace in the day, much less at night."

"What brutish peasants," laughed the second guard.

"Let us in!" Xion demanded.

"No," said the first guard.

"Dumb slut," said the second.

"Excuse me," Garet said, stepping past Xion and approaching the guards with clenched fists.

"You want to go, dumba-"

The guard's sentence was cut short by a blast of fire to the face. The second guard stared agape for a moment, before his mind caught up. He reached for his belt, but Garet was faster. The Mars Adept grabbed the guard by the collar of his shirt and punched him in the face, with a fist wrapped in fire.

"You do NOT talk to her like that! Do you understand me?! My name is GARET, asshole! It should have been me fighting in Colosso!"

Garet continued to savagely punch the guard in the face while Xion and the others watched from afar. Garet let go of the guard, who collapsed to the floor in a twisted heap. Garet's fists were still clenched, and he was shaking. Xion approached Garet and gingerly touched his shoulder.

"Are you… Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said. "I just got a little angry, that's all."

"We could see that."

Piers and Axel joined them. "Well, the guards have been burn-punched into oblivion," Piers observed. "We've opened fire on them. There's no going back now."

"Sorry, guys," Garet said. "I guess I could have been a bit more diplomatic."

Axel kicked the unconscious guard. "He had it coming." There was a faraway look in Axel's eyes, which Xion noticed. And perhaps the ghost of a frown. Something was on his mind.

"If what Demyx said is true, then I doubt we could have gotten very far diplomatically," Piers said. "If they seek the deaths of Adepts, then we are automatically their enemies. It would have come to violence either way."

"We still have the element of surprise, though," Xion said. "They don't know we're here. But if they come out here and find these guys, all burned in the face…"

"Well said, Xion," Piers said. "We should dispose of them. We can drag them into the woods nearby."

They proceeded to do that. Xion and Garet carried the first guard by the shoulders and ankles respectively, while Piers and Axel got the other. They located a shady area, where they propped the inert guards up against a tree. Xion took note of the guards' burned faces.

"Will they be scarred?" she asked.

"I doubt it," Garet told her. "Jenna and I used to throw fireballs around all the time. Nobody ever had any lasting damage from it."

"Psynergetic fire is just energy," Piers explained. "Once the energy dissipates, the damage caused by it goes away as well. That is why Adepts can suffer such extreme injuries without death, and why they rarely scar. Our bodies heal much faster than ordinary humans. As for these guys… No, their faces will suffer no long-term damage."

"Interesting," Xion said. "I always wondered how Felix was able to shrug off a sword through the chest like it was a splinter."

"If I might say something," Axel said suddenly. "If you want to save your friend, it might not be a bad idea to hurry. We've wasted a lot of time already."

"But he's just locked up," Xion said.

"You don't know that for sure," Axel said. "Demyx said that they kill Adepts. Felix is an Adept. Who's to say they'll take their time with him?"

Xion's face went pale. "Oh, gods… Axel's right. We've been messing around, looking for Demyx and dragging these guards around when we should have been storming the palace. Felix could be dead already!"

She turned to run for the palace gates, but Garet caught her by the arm. "Xion, wait! We can't just rush in there. We have to think about this."

"You're one to talk!"

"Garet is right," Piers told her. "We can't just rush in there. They could kill Felix the moment they see us. Or we could rush into a trap. They might know Felix was traveling with companions. They would know any companions of his would be Adepts. And they would know any companions of his would try to rescue him."

"But what can they do?" Xion demanded. "They're just humans! We're two Adepts and two Nobodies! We could fight an entire army!"

"Demyx said they've killed Adepts already," Piers said. "They must have someone powerful, or some weapon to subdue these Adepts. How else could they have captured Felix? I don't see him going in willingly when he knows an Organization member is running through the streets."

Xion glanced at the palace. "You think they have a weapon?"

"Vast numbers of soldiers are no use against our kind," Piers said. "Tolbi knows that. Alex once decimated an entire legion of their men. They would not have declared a vendetta against Adepts unless they had some way of dealing with them. I don't know how they possibly could, but we must proceed cautiously."

"Then what do we do?" Xion asked, biting her lip in concern.

"Well, I have something that might work," Garet said, producing a dark orb from his bag. "This helped us save Hammet a while back. Let's just hope the Tolbi Palace isn't well-lit this time of day."

 

Felix opened his eyes.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed. His hands were bound behind his back. He still felt dizzy and nauseas. Some of his strength had returned, but not nearly enough to break free of his bonds.

He took note of his surroundings. He was in a chamber of cold steel, with wires crisscrossing across the floor and walls. Something was producing a dim sickly green light, and he could hear the sound of water bubbling.

"He's awake."

Felix felt rough hands grab him and pull him to his feet. The room spun, and he would have collapsed were he not being held up. The blurriness of the room slowly settled, and he saw Iodem standing before him with arms crossed. Whatever was producing the green light was behind him, blocked from Felix's view.

"Death is the unsurpassable obstacle that we must all face," Iodem said. "She comes to us all in time, and whispers in our ear. Everything we do in this life is in spite of this obstacle. For we know that all we accomplish will be, inevitably, meaningless. We will all die, and our accomplishes in life will be lost to us. Even our legacy will be gone, for no one is remembered forever. Life is the ultimate shaggy-dog story, as they would say. Long, painful, and ultimately for nothing."

Blados, who was holding Felix, released him and took a step back.

"The strongest among us seek to free ourselves from the chains of death. The Lemurians were the most successful example that we know of. But even they could not avoid it forever. They still died - their eyes, ears, and minds emptied to oblivion after long centuries of use. And my Lord Babi… he struggled against the coming of death for so long. But even he could not avoid it. And why do you think that is?"

Felix said nothing. Blados shoved him.

"Answer the man."

Felix spat at Iodem's feet. Blados punched Felix in the back of the head, and everything spun around him. When he opened his eyes, he was looking up at Iodem.

The Emperor smirked. "Because we humans do not deserve to live forever. All attempts we make to evade death leave us as unnatural husks. Lifeless, blank creatures. And such things - these soulless, empty things… They have no right to exist in the first place."

"Fuck you!" Felix screamed.

Iodem blinked. "So what I say had some meaning to you. Then perhaps what you will see next will have meaning to you as well. Rise to your feet, and look upon the horrors of one who would defy destiny itself."

Blados grabbed Felix, this time by his hair, and pulled him up to his feet. Once he was certain Felix was watching, Iodem stepped aside, revealing the source of the green glow.

A disgustingly thin man, suspended in a tank of greenish fluid. His eyes were sunken into his skull, and his ribs protruded from his chest. Where his stomach should have been, there was a panel where the many wires of the room led into his body. Through his translucent skin, Felix could see the mechanical constructions that should have been his organs. The man's eyes were hazy, but they focused on the figures in the room. Despite all reason not to be, the man was alive.

"Babi…" Felix whispered.

"You see this, Felix?!" Iodem said. "This abomination before you?! He sought to use Alchemy to live forever! And he got what he wished for! An eternity of half-life, trapped forever in unending pain! This is what happens when you try to escape your fate!"

"He died!" Felix exclaimed.

"To the rest of the world, yes he did," Iodem said. "Symbolically, his life was over when I drove my knife through his lung. His ability to rule and govern Tolbi had been diminishing for years. He gave more and more responsibility to me, and spent his time in bed, scavenging what time he could from fate. And with the increasing responsibility he gave me, he also gave me more power. All the years he used fear to rule this kingdom came back to haunt him. The people hated him. When I told the alchemists the very fitting punishment I had in mind for him, they had no objections. We built this hellish machine, and in a coup I ended the reign of Babi. To the world, Babi was dead. Only the alchemists, Blados, and myself knew the truth."

"I was the one who shoved the wires through him," Blados said from behind Felix. "He was dying. He spat blood. He cried for mercy. I was not gentle."

"And now, you will accept your own fate, Felix," Iodem said. "For you must know what powers this machine. The only energy that could possibly keep a wretch like Babi alive. The energy of another human being. But not just any human will suffice. Only Adepts have life force powerful enough to sustain the machine. That is why all Adept who come to Tolbi die. They must keep Babi alive. This is your fate, to be the well that will keep this wretch breathing. What do you have to say before you die, Felix?"

"You talk too much," Felix said. And he spat at Iodem again.

Iodem frowned. "Then you will die without honor, just as your kind deserves. Blados, strap him in."

 

Xion, Garet, Piers, and Axel emerged from the shadows of the dungeon, once they realized there were no guards. The invisibility granted by the Cloak Ball dissipated the instant the gentle torchlight touched them.

"Something is wrong here," Garet said. "There should be more guards. All we've seen were those two from outside."

"I agree, but let us focus on getting Felix out first," Piers said. "We can worry about that later."

They split up to check the cells individually. In a minute they regrouped, and Xion's heart sank when she saw that Felix wasn't present.

"Nothing…?!"

They shook their heads.

"No…" Xion whispered, her lip trembling. "They've… They've already…"

Axel placed his hand on her shoulder. "We won't know that for sure until we see his body."

Xion rubbed her eyes. "You're right. We can't give up yet. Not until we know for certain. Piers, where else in the palace could he be?"

The Lemurian scratched his chin, deep in thought. "If he's injured, he could be receiving medical attention. It's also possible that Iodem is meeting him personally somewhere."

"If Iodem knows who Felix is, I'd imagine he would want to speak with him," Garet said. "And even if he isn't, I'm sure he would still know where Felix is."

"Good idea," Piers said. "It would be far easier to go straight to Iodem and get answers from him than combing the entire palace."

"But he'll be guarded, won't he?" Xion asked. "If we just burst in, demanding answers, couldn't that lead to a massive battle?"

"I just might," Piers said. "That is why we must consider out options here. Just as when we were in front of Venus Lighthouse, we have two choices. Searching with the Cloak Ball will be slower, but we will evade detection. Time is of the essence, however. But if we go straight to Iodem, it will most likely end in a fight. And if they were able to capture Felix, there is a good chance we might not be able to stop them. It is highly possible that such a choice has been anticipated, and a trap awaits us."

"That would explain the lack of guards," Garet added.

"Exactly," Piers said. "The entire force could be waiting in the throne room for us to step inside. I cannot help but feel that a trap awaits us. That is why we must think carefully about our next action."

They grew silent, contemplating Piers' words. Xion shifted anxiously while they thought, glancing at the stairs from time to time. She began to pace. Garet took note of her state.

"Xion, I know you're anxious, but Piers is right," he said to her. "We have to be careful about this. The last thing Felix would want is for us to run into a trap and die."

"But we're wasting time here!" she exclaimed. "We've been wasting time all day! He could already be dead for all we know! If we want to have any chance of saving him, we have to go NOW!"

"Felix already being dead is a possibility that is indeed possible, however much we do not want to admit it," Piers said sternly. "Which would make us running into a trap to save all the more meaningless."

Xion took a step back. "Fine. I'll go ahead to the throne room by myself. If there is a trap waiting for us there, then I'll be the only one who gets caught in it." She took off running before they could stop her.

"Xion!" Axel exclaimed.

"She's being rash…" Garet said. "This isn't like her."

"Indeed," Piers said. "And in her rashness, she's made the decision for us. Let's go, we can't let her get caught in a trap by herself."

 

Xion ran through the corridors, her hand on the hilt of her katana, ready to draw at a moment's notice. Nobody appeared to stop her, but she knew the others would come after her. She couldn't let them. If there was a trap waiting, she was prepared to be a sacrifice. She owed Felix as much, with how many times he had saved her.

She then suddenly realized something. She had actually saved Felix as many times as he'd saved her. He wouldn't even be alive right now if she hadn't tried to stop him from jumping into the chasm where Mt. Aleph had been. Sure, they had fallen anyway, but without her there to pull him out of the water and get to shelter, he would have either drowned or frozen to death. And if she hadn't forced him to drink the Hermes' Water after his battle with Alex back at Mercury Lighthouse…

Despite the situation, she couldn't help but blush at the memory.

They didn't really owe each other anything, but they still went out of their way to help the other in dangerous times. Would Roxas or Axel do the same for her? Such a situation had never occurred, so she couldn't know. The only example she could think of was when she had lost the ability to summon her keyblade, and they had covered for her.

Perhaps this was what friends were, people who risked themselves to help each other.

Xion arrived at the door to the throne room, and she stopped. She drew her katana and took a deep breath. It was now or never. She could hear the faint sound of three people running in the hall from where she'd come. They were close enough, that if anything happened when she stepped through, they would hear.

Xion kicked the door open and jumped through.

 

Garet, Piers, and Axel raced down the hallway after Xion. Garet, who was ahead of the others, managed to glimpse her for a brief moment before she kicked open the door to the throne room and jump through the threshold.

"She went in!" he exclaimed.

Axel brushed past Garet without consideration, knocking the Adept to the floor. His chakrams appeared in a burst of flame and he ran through the door after Xion.

"Asshole!" Garet shouted after Axel. Piers stopped beside Garet and offered him his hand. "Did you see him? He just knocked me down!"

"I'm sure he's just worried about Xion," Piers said, helping Garet to rise. "But it sounds like we're okay. Do you hear that? Nothing."

"No trap…" Garet followed after Axel and Xion, with Piers right behind him. They found the throne room bare, with no sign of guards or even Iodem. Only Xion and Axel stood in the center of the chamber, their weapons in hand.

"He's not here," Xion said to them, shrugging.

"I don't get it… Where is he if not here?" Garet asked.

"Certainly not his bedchambers…" Piers said. "We passed those on our way to the dungeon. If he was there, there would have been guards outside the door."

"There aren't guards anywhere in this place," Garet said. "There's nobody here."

"Perhaps they are there," Axel said, pointing towards the throne.

Behind the throne, the wall was open, revealing a chamber that emanated faint green light.

"A hidden chamber?" Garet said.

Xion took a few steps towards the chamber, but jumped back at the sound of a rough voice shouting.

"Bastard!"

"Somebody's there!" Xion exclaimed, taking off into the stone tunnel.

"Dammit Xion, wait!" Garet said. He followed her, with Axel and Piers at his heels.

 

"What did he do?" Iodem asked.

Blados threw Felix to the cold steel floor and kicked him in the ribs. The helpless Adept groaned and spat up red specks of blood, but he laughed.

"The little son of a bitch bit me," Blados growled. "Right through my glove. Would've taken my damn thumb off if I had been a second slower."

"You can thank the Psy Grenades for that," Iodem said.

"Insolent little prick!" Blados spat. "My Emperor, I understand the necessity of Adepts to power the machine, but do you think we could keep just this one? He infuriates me in ways the others have not. I want to kill him slowly."

"Sorry, Blados," Iodem said. "He's special. He has a powerful life-force. Being at Mars Lighthouse as it released its built-up energy would have given him extended life, if my Alchemists are to be believed. I want every drop of that energy to go to Babi."

Blados scowled.

"Felix!"

Xion stopped some distance from Iodem and Blados, spotting Felix collapsed on the ground. Garet joined her, followed by Axel and Piers.

"We would have company, it would seem," Iodem said, grinning and stroking his black beard.

"What have you done to him?!" Xion demanded.

"Forget Felix…" Garet said. "What have they done to him?!" He pointed to Babi, suspended in the tank of green fluid.

"Is that Babi?" Piers asked.

"Indeed it is," Iodem said. "Suspended beyond a mortal life by the dark arts of Alchemy."

"This is sick," Garet said through his teeth. "It's wrong. Why would you want to keep him alive? I thought you hated Babi!"

Iodem sighed. "I already explained this all to Felix. I doubt a round of the same exposition is in order."

"Shall I take care of them?" Blados offered. His eyes gleamed with excitement.

"You may, but do so quickly," Iodem said. "No killing - we'll need them later. So no toying with them. Use the grenades. I want you to watch Felix being assimilated. It may yield unexpected results."

Blados scowled. "Fine. But at least let me keep the girl. I've earned that much, at least."

Garet glared.

"Very well," Iodem said. "You can have your fun later."

"You won't touch her!" Garet screamed, pulling his axe from his back and charging. Blados stepped to the side, casually lifting his massive sheathed blade from the ground. He swung the flat sheath, striking Garet across his back.

"Garet!" Xion exclaimed. Behind her, Piers drew his sword and began to move to the side of the room, his eyes locked on Blados. Axel stood beside Xion, at the ready.

Garet tumbled, but managed to recover his footing quickly. He swung his axe, catching Blados' still-sheathed sword and twisting. The two weapons were caught in a parry.

"Gotcha," Garet grinned. He let go of his axe with his left hand, maintaining a strong grip on the handle with his right. In his left hand, a ball of fire appeared.

"Your mistake was giving me an opening," Garet said.

"Wrong," Blados sneered. "That was your mistake."

Blados left go of his sword altogether, letting it fall to the ground. The sudden lack of pressure against his axe caused Garet to slip and stumble. Blados flicked his wrist, a round black device appearing in his hand from under his sleeve. He pulled a pin from the device and dropped it on the ground right and his and Garet's feet.

There was an explosion that filled half the room, though nothing was damaged. Xion, Axel, and Piers shielded themselves from the blast, but Blados and Iodem had no reaction. The steel chamber was filled with light.

Xion felt herself swoon for a moment, and she grabbed onto Axel's shoulder to keep herself from falling. She felt slightly nauseous.

The light faded. The dizziness Xion had felt was quickly gone. She shook her head.

Garet was down, seemingly unconscious, though there were no signs of damage on his body. Blados stood before him, completely untouched by the explosion.

"Garet!" Xion exclaimed. She took a step forward, but the room spun around her. Axel caught her before she fell.

"I see now…" Piers muttered. He was on one knee and hyperventilating. His face was pale. "That's… their weapon… It only attacks… Psynergy."

Blados slowly pulled his long sword from its sheath. "Not bad. You're still conscious. Even from the other side of the room, your kind don't take those blasts well."

"Xion, are you alright?" Axel asked her.

She rubbed her temples. "Yeah… I just suddenly felt really tired. But it's fading already." She took a step away from Axel, testing her balance. The spinning room was settling. She noticed Piers. "Are you okay?"

"No…" the Lemurian said, short of breath. "That was really… ugh." Piers shuddered, and collapsed.

"Damn," Axel muttered. "Both Garet and Piers in one attack…"

"You weren't affected at all?" Xion asked.

He shook his head.

Xion raised her katana. "What did you do to our friends?!"

Blados turned to her, his massive sword balanced on one shoulder. "You're still on two feet? So they've been running around with ordinary humans."

Xion took a step forward, but the nausea returned. She swayed and Axel rushed to her.

"She's affected," Iodem observed. "But not as much as she should be. Interesting. I've never seen that before."

"Well, the red-haired one is just human anyway," Blados said, raising his blade. "So there's no point in sparing him, is there?"

"Not at all," Iodem said.

Blados grinned. "Good."

The swordsman charged. Axel released Xion, who stumbled and fell to her knees. Axel summoned his chakrams and threw one, which Blados quickly reacted to, knocking aside with his large sword. Axel jumped back just in time to avoid a decapitation, and he responded by blasting Blados with a pillar of fire. The swordsman was caught dead in the center of the attack, and he rolled to the side, the flames only briefly touching his body.

"The hell-?!" Blados demanded. "He is an Adept! He should be in the same state as the others! How did he resist the grenade?!"

Iodem was scratching his beard. "How very interesting. Tonight is proving to be quite eventful. Either he has some sort of ability that lets him resist the grenades, or he is not an Adept, and the power he uses is something else."

"That would be the latter," Axel said. "Xion, how are you holding up, girl?"

"I'm fine!" she said, rising to her feet. "I can feel my strength returning. A bit of it was drained, but I can already feel it coming back."

"Blados, you must be especially careful with these two," Iodem said. "Subject such as these must not be let go. I know it will be difficult to control your bloodlust in melee combat, but it is imperative that you do not kill them. They must be studied."

"I will try," the swordsman said.

"Xion, go after the Emperor," Axel whispered to her. "I'll take care of this guy. Get Felix and the others out of here."

"I understand," she said. "Hey!" Blados turned to her for the briefest of moments, giving Axel an opportunity to move in and attack Blados with his chakrams. As part of his signature battle style, flames appeared, locking the two in combat.

With her katana raised, Xion went after Iodem. The Emperor stood beside Felix, who was completely unconscious, no doubt as a result of the recent Psy Grenade. He noticed Xion approaching, and drew a dark sword from his side, hidden under his cloak. The blade was jet-black, and its edges were dull - clearly not designed for cutting. The air seemed to grown heavy as she approached him. She stopped before she could get too close, noticing the energy she felt being drained by the blade.

"The Psyblade," Iodem said. "Codenamed the Mage Masher. It works the same way the grenades do, but with a continuous effect rather than an instant one. No Adept could retain consciousness when in contact with it."

"What do you plan to do with Felix?" she demanded, her breathing growing heavy.

Iodem smiled. "The life-force of Adepts is what keeps Babi alive." He indicated the sickly old man in the tank behind them. "And such an unnatural life is his eternal torment. He wished to live forever, and I will make sure he does."

"So that's why you go after Adepts?" Xion asked. "To drain their life?"

"That is not the only reason, though it is indeed a major one. The fact remains that Adepts cannot be trusted. They think themselves gods walking this earth. Felix's groups killed our people indiscriminately, and with no reason to do so. And as for Isaac… I was not surprised when the reports came in that he had been sighted in lands far from Lemuria. I knew that the moment he was beyond Tolbi, Babi's request was gone from his mind. These Adepts… they take us humans for weaklings. Well, I have now leveled the playing field."

Xion took a step forward, forcing herself to remain standing. Iodem noticed her struggles and laughed.

"But you, my dear… You are clearly no Adept. And yet you are affected by our weapons, at least a little. You are not Adept or human. You must be something unnatural. And such things do not deserve to exist."

Xion's face twisted with rage. "You know nothing about me!" She charged forward, swinging her katana. Iodem parried the stroke.

"Interesting, interesting," he continued. "It seems you share a soft spot with Felix. He too grew angry when I spoke of unnatural beings, and how they should not be. Now I see why. He must have been thinking of you."

"You shut your mouth!" Xion exclaimed. She pressed forward with her katana, utilizing the skills Felix had taught her, but Iodem countered every stroke. Iodem was not a particularly skilled swordsman - she could see that, but the Mage Masher he held was draining her strength. It imposed a handicap on her that equalized them.

"We all have the things we care for," Iodem said. "For me, it would be my mission: to prolong the suffering of my former master. For Blados, it is the art of combat and the spilling of blood. What do you care for, Abomination? Can a thing such as you have human traits such as these?"

"You talk too much," Xion said. She swung her sword to the side, pinning Iodem's blade to the control panel of the machine.

"You do not deserve to exist," Iodem spat.

"I keep hearing that," Xion said. "And yet I live. Maybe I think they're wrong. Maybe fate can go screw itself. I'm the one who writes my story. Not you, not the ones who created me, not the ones who would destroy me."

"You can't fight fate!" Iodem said. "You don't have the right!"

Xion turned to the tank that Babi floated in. "You would take my life from me? You would kill Felix? Very well. Then I will take from you the thing you care for!"

"No!"

Xion pulled her sword back, giving Iodem an opening. He pulled his Mage Masher back to swing it, but Xion caught the blade in mid stroke with her hands. She could feel the Psynergy she carried fade in an instant, but she remained conscious, holding onto the energy she carried that was not Psynergy.

Xion took her katana in her free hand and swung where she could, cutting wires and tubes of green fluid. The electronics of the machine glitched and powered down.

"Stop! You'll kill him!" Iodem screamed. He let go of the Mage Masher to push her away. She stumbled, and fell on her back, dropping her katana. Iodem came after her with his hands open, reaching for her throat. She reached for a sword blindly, grabbing the hilt of the Mage Masher. She pulled the sword to her and raised it. Iodem tripped…

The dull edge of the black sword pierced Iodem's stomach painfully slow. He screamed as the sword entered his body, and he coughed up blood. He slid down the edge of the blade until he was on top of Xion, blood dripping from his chin onto her shirt. She pushed him aside.

Xion felt dizzy as she rose, her small pool of Psynergy having been drained from her contact with the Mage Masher. Iodem lay on his side, blood dripping from his stomach, and gathering in a crimson pool. She could hear Axel and Blados still fighting behind the curtain of flame.

She took a moment to steady herself, hearing nothing but the sounds of Iodem gurgling and Axel and Blados shouting. Once her coordination was back, she picked up her katana and sheathed it.

"You…" Iodem struggled to speak. "You shouldn't be…"

She spotted a steel pipe, dislodged from during her attack on the control panel. The change in pressure on the tubes of green fluid had caused a rupture, and the sick-looking liquid was now flowing all over the floor, instead of going to Babi's tank. The pipe had burst free during a small explosion, and now rested on the floor before her.

She picked it up and walked slowly to the green tank. The frail old man inside met her gaze, and his eyes pleaded with her. She could see what he wanted. She raised the steel pipe.

"NOOO!" Iodem screamed.

She struck the glass once. Nothing. She struck it again. A small web of cracks appeared. She struck a third time. The cracks grew, and green water started to pour out.

Iodem was still screaming.

She struck the glass a fourth time, putting every ounce of strength she could muster behind the swing. It shattered, and a wave of the green fluid burst out. She was knocked back by the force of the water. The flames Axel had summoned were doused, and both he and Blados were caught in the flow. The inert forms of Felix, Garet, Piers, and the wounded Iodem were tossed aside like an afterthought. The water ran past them, flowing through the stone tunnel and seeping into the throne room.

Xion was the first to rise. The room was filled with water up to the ankle. She turned and saw the now-empty tank. Babi was still there, suspended by tubes and wires that went into his chest. His lower body was gone, waist and legs having been torn from him by the strength of the flowing water. His breathing was labored and thin.

Blados was up next, and he noticed Iodem collapsed nearby, the Mage Masher still stuck in his stomach.

"You stabbed him with a dull blade…" he muttered. "Now that's painful, even by my standards."

Blados found his long sword nearby and picked it up, placing it over his shoulder. Xion drew her katana, thankfully sheathed before she broke the tank open. "He was your emperor! Don't you even care?"

"Why would you expect me to?" he chuckled.

Axel rose from the corner of the room. His chakrams appeared in his hands. He was clearly exhausted. Blados turned to acknowledge him.

"I have to give it to your friend here, girl," he said to Xion. "He put up one hell of a fight. Not many last so long against me."

Compared to Axel, Blados showed no signs of fatigue. He held his sword in an attack stance and rushed towards Axel. The Nobody deflected the sword with his chakram, but Blados then punched him in the gut and he was done. Axel collapsed face-first in the green water.

Blados then turned to Xion. He stuck his sword in the floor and stretched, letting out a yawn. "Now it's just you and me, it appears."

Xion raised her katana. Blados let out a guttural laugh.

"Your friend couldn't beat me with fire and ranged attacks," he said. "And you expect to take me on with close combat and actually have a chance?"

"We'll see," she said.

"Dumb girl," Blados said. He took a step forward.

"Hah!" Axel exclaimed, pushing himself up and swinging his remaining chakram. The disc-shaped blade sliced through the back of Blados' knee. The swordsman screaming in agony.

"Damn it all!" Blados roared. He turned as best he could and struck Axel over the head with the hilt of his sword. Axel collapsed again, a trail of blood running down his face.

Xion took the chance to attack. She moved quickly, clearing the distance between them. Blados was slow to react, unable to use his left leg, but a quick stroke of his long blade forced Xion to jump back. The sheer length of the blade kept her from getting any closer.

"Not so fast, honey," Blados said. "Your friend may have hamstrung me, but don't let that fool you. I'm no pushover. After everything he did, he couldn't even bring me to a sweat. Even surrounded by flames."

"I think you're bluffing," Xion said. She took a few cautious steps forward. "I think you're a lot more worn-out than you're letting on."

Blados scowled. "You fool! If you had any sense, you'd turn and flee this place right now! Forget your friends and run! If you fight me, you will die!"

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Xion said. She took a few more steps. "You're bluffing. I can see it in your eyes."

"You think this is bluffing?!" Blados winced as he jumped back, putting a few more feet of distance between them. He pulled his sword back, and thrust it forward, intending to skewer her. Xion jumped up, landing on the long blade as it passed where she had been. Her weight pushed the sword down, onto the ground. Blados' eyes betrayed him, showing genuine surprise for a second.

Xion ran along the seven feet of steel, her katana aimed at Blados' throat. Unable to move his sword, and unable to move quickly, Blados had no other choice in action - he let go of his sword and jumped awkwardly to the side, landing on his hamstrung leg. He cried out in pain.

Blados' sword dropped to the ground, and Xion landed as best she could, the shallow green water splashing as she did. She kicked the long sword aside, putting herself between Blados and his weapon.

The swordsman looked around, spotting Pier's heavy sword near his unconscious figure. He limped as quickly as he could to Piers and picked up his blade. Xion slowly approached Blados, her katana held ready.

This time, Blados struck first. He swung Piers' sword, and Xion countered. Unable to use his left leg, Blados' movements were slow and awkward, but his skill with the blade was impressive. Far better than Iodem's had been. Xion quickly realized that in a straight match, Blados would have won easily. But thanks to Axel's attack, and the fact that his longer sword wasn't being used, Blados was significantly weakened. Xion used his limited movement to her advantage, keeping as safe a distance as she could. She made sure she kept herself between Blados and his long sword on the other side of the room. If he got a hold of it again, he would never left her get close enough to attack. In the hands of anyone but a master, such a long blade would be awkward and clumsy, but in Blados' it was deadly. He was still dangerous wielding Piers' blade, but his useless leg made it hard for him to switch from defensive to offensive.

Xion considered her strategy. If she could hinder the movement of Blados' right leg, he would be unable to move at all. Disarming him would leave him with no method of attack, for he was no Adept. Her agility was superior to his even before he was hamstrung, so she had no doubt she needed to use that to her advantage.

Xion circled to the side, and Blados hobbled to stay facing her.

"Even in such a state, my skills are superior to yours," Blados said. "Give it up."

"You keep saying that, even though we both know it isn't true," Xion replied. "You're getting desperate now."

"I will not be beaten by a little girl!" Blados growled. He conjured a Psy Grenade from the depths of his sleeve. Xion jumped back, but it was useless. Blados threw the grenade at her, and it hit her square in the chest.

The effects hit her instantly. Everything started spinning, and she was blinded by the flash of light. Blados did not attack her, but she fell back anyway. The nausea made her want to throw up, but she forced the feeling down.

She recovered quickly this time. Perhaps she was building up a resistance to the effects. Or perhaps she was getting used to them. Either way, she forced herself to climb to her feet as quickly as she could. She scanned the room for Blados.

He was gone.

Xion noticed Piers' sword resting in the shallow green water. She turned to the corner where Axel was collapsed. The long sword was absent.

Blados had fled.

She dropped her katana and fell to her knees, sighing in relief. What a chaotic battle, she thought. But it was over. All she had to do was get everyone out of the palace before anyone showed up. Felix, Axel, Garet, Piers… Four grown men. She just had to carry four grown men out of the palace by herself.

She had beaten Blados, but the mission had been doomed from the beginning. Blados would surely send guards after them. There was no way she could get everyone out in time.

Maybe if she could get Axel awake… He might be able to carry two people. She rose to move towards her friend, but what she then saw froze her in her tracks.

Iodem stood, hardly two paces from her, a curved dagger in his hand. The Mage Master was still in his stomach, blood dripping from it. His eyes were bloodshot and enraged.

He had been trying to sneak up on her.

Xion grabbed her katana and swung. Iodem sidestepped, avoiding the attack with surprising agility.

"Have you ever killed before, girl?" he asked, grinning madly. His teeth were stained by his blood.

She shook her head. She had never killed someone. Not a human anyway. She had fought plenty of Heartless, and the occasional monster once she came to Weyard. But she had never ended someone's life before. The closest she had ever come was when she, Piers, and Sheba had destroyed Alex's body, but he still lived…

Iodem cackled, his voice choked by the blood he was coughing up. "We… creatures of the gods. We have the power to end a life. That is fate. You kill or be killed. You die or die. You can't fight fate, you silly girl. Not even Babi could fight it, by his hand or mine. We're all slaves to the whim of destiny."

"You're mad," she said. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I DO!" he screamed. "It is you who knows nothing! I have this dagger in my hand, and I will kill you with it. Unless you end my life right now, I will end yours!"

"Shut up!" she shouted back. "I've been in many fights! I won't hesitate to kill you!"

Iodem shook his head. "This is no fight. This is just you and me. Right now. It's a choice. Not a battle, where things happen too fast to make these decisions. This is kill or die." He took a step towards her.

"Stop," she warned him.

He took another step towards her. He raised his dagger.

"I said stop!"

Another step.

Xion swung her katana, striking Iodem in his hand. Three fingers flew through the air, and blood dripped down, staining the green liquid they were standing in. The dagger fell. Iodem did not react. Xion took a deep breath.

And stabbed Iodem in the heart.

The Emperor gasped, and he reached up and grabbed the blade. His right hand had only a thumb and index finger. He fell back, sliding off Xion's sword. His bleeding hands left trails of blood as he fell.

Iodem took one last breath as he lay in the green fluid, then he was dead. Xion stared at him for a moment, and she felt a tear run down her cheek. She wasn't sure why she wept. She didn't pity Iodem. He deserved to die. Nor did she pity herself. She always knew this would happen at some point, with how often she fought.

She just shed a few tears, then she cleaned her sword on the dead man's clothes and sheathed it.

With the subject of death on her mind, Xion realized there was one person left who needed to die. She turned and walked over to the broken tank of glass, where what remained of Babi watched her. He was held in place by tubes and wires, only his upper body remaining. One of his arms had fallen off while she had been fighting. His breathing was unbelievably thin and labored. Despite all this, he still lived. The machine was still keeping him alive after all that.

She wasn't sure how she should have felt about Babi. Part of her hated him, for what she had heard of him from the others. Another part of her pitied the man, seeing what he had become in his selfish desire to live.

"Babi," she said softly.

"What's… your name?" he asked, his voice the ghost of a whisper.

She stood shocked for a moment. She hadn't expected him to be able to speak. "My name… It's Xion."

"Xion…" he gasped. "A beautiful name… You're… so young… So beautiful… I sometimes… wanted a daughter… a child to watch… grow up…"

She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. Babi continued, in his deathly voice.

"My life… such a waste… I want… to die… But I have to… to tell somebody… my mistake…"

"What mistake?" she asked, leaning forward. She could feel the sting of unshed tears behind her eyes.

"It was… So pointless… I ran… And ran… Death was so… terrifying." Babi coughed. "Don't do… what I did… young Xion… Enjoy what time… you have… Accept fate… Don't fight… Don't try to run away… Like I did…"

She felt the tears running down her cheeks.

"Now please… Kill me… I am ready…"

Xion drew her katana without another word. She placed the edge of the blade up against Babi's throat. He closed his eyes and smiled.

A single swing and it was over.


	24. Please Take Your Hand Away

Blados emerged from the front gate of the palace, dragging his sheathed sword behind him. He limped at a steady pace, dragging his useless right leg behind him. His face was twisted in a furious scowl.

At the same time, two dazed guards were stumbling out of the edge of the forest. There faces were bright red, as though they had been in the sun too long. One of them noticed Blados, tapped his companion on the shoulder, and ran over to his captain. His companion rubbed his eyes and frowned, not moving.

"Sir, we were-"

Blados punched the guard in the chin with the speed of a striking snake. The guard stumbled back, disoriented and dazed. Blados sprang forward, pushing the guard to the ground and landing on top of him. The swordsman then punched the helpless guard again and again, brutally and without mercy. Blood stained Blados' fists, face, and the dirt around them. Blados continued beating the guard long after he was dead.

The other guard waited, watching the merciless beating without a word. Once Blados was finished, he took a deep breath and rose. The second guard approached him.

"Orders, sir?"

Blados turned to him, wiping the blood off his face. "There are four Adepts in the palace. They killed your Emperor. Sound the alarm and gather the troops. All of them. I want these people dead."

"Emperor Iodem is dead?" said the guard, shocked for a moment. The disbelief quickly turned into anger. "I understand, sir. Everyone will come. These Adepts will not leave the city alive."

Blados smirked as the guard left. He was no fool, that one. He'd known better than to be the first to speak to him. Blados turned and stared at the fool who had. A rookie. He'd undoubtedly heard the tales about his captain. He had been too young and naïve to believe them.

Blados stood before the gates of the palace, waiting to hear the sound of a bell echoing from the city. He was not disappointed.

 

Xion's head was spinning. She felt like throwing up, but she was unable to. Everything about the room she was in was unnerving her. The rusted steel walls, the sickly green fluid that filled the room up to her ankles, and the bleeding corpse of Iodem…

She had to get out of here.

Blados wasn't going to just let her leave. He was in no condition to face her himself, but he would undoubtedly send guards after them. If it had just been her she had to worry about, this would have been no problem at all. Her time with Organization XIII had given her excellent stealth abilities. But she had four grown men she needed to save. There was no possibility that she could get Felix, Axel, Garet, and Piers all to safety. Even at her full strength such a task was impossible, and on top of that, she was still weak from the Psy Grenades Blados had used.

She remembered her previous plan, which she had been about to do before Iodem had attacked her. If she could wake Axel up, it would improve their chances. She stood and went to her unconscious friend. He wasn't seriously injured, but he had a welt on his head and a few slashes in his clothes. She prayed he didn't have a concussion. If he did, their chances of escaping were next to nothing.

"Axel," she said, nudging him gently. He did not move. "Axel, wake up."

He didn't respond. She splashed some of the green water on his face. Still no response.

"Damn…" she muttered, biting her lip. "Axel, wake up!" She slapped him across the face. He gasped and coughed.

"The hell, Xion?" he asked, rubbing his cheek.

"Thank goodness," she sighed with relief. "I was worried for a minute."

Axel sat up and leaned against the wall. "What happened to that Blados guy?"

"I managed to beat him," she said. "He got away, though. Iodem was still alive and he came up behind me, but I got him before he got me."

Axel stared at her for a moment, as though about to say something. He sighed, and rubbed his forehead.

"My head is killing me," he groaned. "So what's our situation? How are the others doing?"

"Not good," she told him. "The others aren't even conscious. I doubt they could even wake up right now, with their Psynergy drained."

Axel's eyes swept over the room, taking in everything he saw. His gaze lingered on Babi's body for a moment, but he said nothing. Then he rose, brushed off his clothes and met Xion's gaze with cold eyes.

"We have to leave them," Axel said.

"W-what?!" Xion stood and took a step back. "You can't be serious!"

"It's the only way we can survive," Axel said. "They're finished. They're just dead weight. We have to save ourselves now."

Xion was speechless. She just stared at Axel.

"Do you think they would want you to get yourself killed trying to save them?" Axel asked.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Xion said. "Have you learned nothing? Is everything Felix has said about you true?"

Axel rubbed his temples. "We don't have time to have this discussion."

Xion crossed. "Good, because there's nothing to discuss. Either you're going to help me get my friends to safety, or you can leave and save yourself."

"And that's final?"

"Of course."

Axel stared at her, then looked towards the exit. "Had this been… six months ago… I would have just struck you down when you weren't looking and taken you to safety regardless of what you wished."

Xion glared. "So what changed?"

"Because now you wouldn't forgive me if I did something like that," Axel sighed. "I can carry two of them, but you'll have to get the third. Which one of them is the lightest?"

Xion blinked, taking a moment to acknowledge his words. She turned and examined the inert bodies of Felix, Garet, and Piers.

"I'm not sure…" she muttered. "They're all pretty built. I don't think I could carry any of them. I had to drag Felix once. I think he would be the lightest." She realized that their weapons were scattered around the room, so she went to gather them.

"Then drag him again," Axel went over to Garet and lifted him up, tossing him over his shoulder. Axel winced for a moment. "If we're attacked, I won't be able to do much. You'll have to set Felix down and take care of the enemy."

"What will you be doing?" she asked. She returned Garet and Piers' weapons to their sheathes, but Felix's sword was nowhere to be found.

"Carrying these two," Axel said. He lifted Piers up, taking a moment to steady his balance. "If you're determined to save everyone, we can't afford to stop. I have a feeling we might be separated. These two are heavy. We'll need a point where we can rendezvous."

"A place to rendezvous…" Xion muttered. "Do you really think things will get that bad?"

"It's best to be careful," he replied. "This isn't the Organization. We can't just RTC if things get too chaotic."

"I see," Xion said. "Well, our rendezvous point can't be anywhere in the city. Somewhere away from the soldiers. How about the docks? They won't be in use this time of year. Nobody will be there."

"That should work. Close to town. Nobody should be there. But we won't be able to linger long. Stay behind the trees if possible."

Xion bit her lip. "Okay. If there's no other alternative…"

Axel nodded. "Let's go. We can't afford to wait any longer."

With Garet and Piers tossed over his shoulders, Axel walked off to the entrance of the steel chamber. Xion went over to Felix and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, half-dragging him after Axel. She could feel his toned muscles under his coat and she knew her cheeks were reddening.

Not now, she told herself. There were more important things to be thinking about.

They reached the throne room, where Axel was waiting for her. The entire chamber was flooded an inch or so from the green water. Xion dragged Felix out and set him down next to the throne. She was short of breath.

"How are you holding up?" Axel asked, noticing her fatigue.

"I'm fine-" she moved to stand up, but a wave of dizziness struck her and she grabbed the armrest of the throne to keep from falling over. "Maybe not."

"What is it?"

"The Psy Grenades…" she muttered. "They must have affected me more than I thought."

Axel grimaced. "This is a problem… If you're getting tired this easily…"

The sound of footsteps filled the room. From the entrance of the throne chamber, several dozen armored men marched in, spears pointed at Xion and Axel.

"Damn it all," Axel muttered. "We have company."

Xion quickly counted the soldiers filling the chamber. There were more than a few dozen… At least a hundred men.

"They're the ones!" shouted a soldier at the head of the crowd. "These Adepts killed our Emperor! We cannot let them escape!"

"There's no running from this," Axel said. "I'm running low on magic, but I should be able to incinerate a good number of them. You'll have to take care of the rest."

"Axel, no!" said Xion. "You can't kill these men. They don't understand the circumstances. They have families. They're just doing their job."

Axel's gaze shifted from the crowd of armed men to Xion. "I don't have all day to think about this. I can't fight while I'm holding these two."

"I understand," Xion said. "Take Piers and Garet and flee. I'll hold them off."

"If you're staying, so am I," Axel set the two unconscious Adepts down on the floor next to Felix. "I won't abandon you now, not to save these two."

Xion drew her katana. "Do you think we can fight an entire army?"

"Of normal humans? Of course," Axel's chakrams appeared. "But not killing them will make things difficult."

"A good thing we have no such reservations!" howled a voice from the entrance. From behind the line of soldiers, Blados stepped out into the open, still limping slightly from Axel's attack.

"You're still here?" Axel scoffed.

"Orders, sir?" asked the soldier at the front.

"Don't waste your grenades on those two," Blados said. "They aren't Adepts. In fact, don't bother with them at all. Go after the unconscious ones. Kill them without hesitation."

Xion gasped. She took a step back, as though to shield the Adepts from the army in front of them.

"You understand, girl?!" Blados called out to her. "You can stand and fight, but your friends can't. You can't stop a hundred men. Someone will slip through and put a spear through your friend's heart. I guarantee it. You have only one option. Surrender, and they live."

"That's a load of crap!" Xion shouted back. "You'll kill us all if we surrender anyway. What guarantee could you possibly give us?"

"I already gave you one, don't you listen?" Blados laughed. "You have no room to negotiate here. Either give up, or die."

"No happening, man," Axel said.

"Very well, then," Blados said. "Men, att-"

"Hold it!"

Blados whirled around in rage. The soldiers turned in confusion at the new voice. Behind Blados, someone casually strode out from the entrance of the chamber. The last person Xion expected to see.

"Why all the violence, guys?" Demyx asked. "Can't we settle this peacefully?"

"Who the hell are you?!" Blados demanded, holding his sword at the ready.

"The name's Demyx. Got it memorized?"

Axel sighed and shook his head.

"Fuck off, hippy," Blados spat. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'm gonna give you two seconds to turn around and leave."

Demyx held up his sitar. "So nobody wants to hear my song?"

"FUCK YOU!" Blados screamed. He unsheathed and swung his sword in one fluid motion, aiming to slice off Demyx's head. The Nobody simply parried with his sitar, not even acknowledging Blados.

"I see how it is, then," Demyx said with a grin. "Dance, water, dance!"

The small army was thrown into utter chaos. An army of watery clones of Demyx appeared from seemingly nowhere, rising up out of the shallow water flooding the room. The soldiers reacted the only way they knew how, by throwing Psy Grenades at the creatures before them. But the water clones weren't constructed from Psynergy, so the explosions and flashes of light only served confuse and further fuel the chaos. The water clones were weak enough to defeat in a single blow, but as each one fell more appeared to replace them.

"What the hell are these things?!"

"Kill it! Kill it!"

"Captain! Orders?!"

"They just keep coming!"

Xion and Axel watched this scene unfold without a word. Three clones ran past them, each one lifting up one of the downed Adepts and tossing them over their translucent shoulders. One of the clones looked at Xion and pointed over at Demyx on the other side of the room.

"I think it's time to go," Xion said.

Axel nodded.

They followed the clones through the chaotic battlefield to where Demyx awaited them. The Nobody was enthusiastically playing his sitar, as though oblivious to the battle.

"You guys ready?" Demyx asked without stopping.

"Demyx, what are you doing here?" Xion asked.

"We can talk later," he said, turning and marching out of the room without pausing his sitar playing for a moment.

Axel, Xion, and the three clones followed him out. As they were leaving, Xion saw Blados being pinned down by ten or so clones.

"You can run!" he screamed after them. "But I'll find you!"

 

"I think we can take a break."

They were far from Tolbi. They had been running for at least three hours. The sun was just beginning to peek out over the horizon, casting orange light across the trees.

They stopped at a hill overlooking the path they'd been following. The three clones carrying Felix, Piers, and Garet set down the unconscious Adepts and dissipated. Demyx let out a sigh of fatigue and placed his sitar on the grass. He had been playing the entire time as they ran, to control his water clones.

"You people…" he gasped. "Always dragging me into your problems…"

Xion and Axel also sat down, similarly exhausted from both combat and running. Axel was rubbing his temples. He likely had a headache.

Xion wanted nothing more than to lay back and sleep, but her mind was filled with questions.

"Demyx?" he turned to her. "Why did you help us?"

He shrugged. "I felt like it."

"But… I thought you just wanted to play with your band and not be involved or whatever?"

"Would you rather I not have showed up?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head.

"Then don't complain," he turned back towards the plains. "You look pretty pooped. Take a nap, I'll keep an eye out."

Xion sighed. It was obvious enough from his answers. Demyx wasn't going to say anything. Whatever his reasons were for helping them, he wasn't going to say anything.

She did feel exhausted. She looked over at Axel, who was watching Demyx silently. His eyes were suspicious and tired, but he saw her watching and nodded. She felt relieved.

Xion lay back and closed her eyes. She could take a moment to rest, knowing that Axel would be up to make sure nothing happened. She wasn't sure if she could trust Demyx yet.

It wasn't a restful sleep that came to her, but a necessary one.

 

The sun was high in the sky when Xion woke. She sat up when she realized Demyx and Axel were gone. She looked around, searching the small hill for any sign of her friends. Piers and Garet were gone, too. But Felix was still there, and awake at that. He was sitting nearby, watching the same place Demyx had been.

"Felix," she said. He turned to see her. He did not smile.

"You're awake," he observed. "That's good. Nothing happened to you like us. You were just tired."

"Uh… yes," she replied. "Where is everyone else?"

Felix pointed down at the forest below them. "They're down there, by the river. They're making something to eat. Axel said it was too risky to start a fire up here on the hill. Nobody wanted to disturb you, so they left me up here with you."

"Oh, I see," Xion said, sitting up. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Felix said a bit too fast. She blinked. There was a tightness around Felix's mouth.

She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess you were right back at the lighthouse," she said. "We should have just fought our way in instead of going to Tolbi."

"I suppose so," he muttered. He seemed to shift a bit, as though turning away from her. Something was clearly troubling him. She considered asking him. Would he tell her if she did, or would it just wedge them farther apart?

He spoke before she could, though. "Thank you for rescuing me," he said quietly.

"You don't have to thank me," she said. "You save me just as often. To be honest, I'm surprised they were able to capture you in the first place."

Felix flinched very slightly as she spoke. So that was it, she realized. He was ashamed that he was captured. She could understand why someone like Felix would feel that way. He probably wasn't ready to talk about it, then. Best to steer the conversation elsewhere, then.

"You've met Demyx?" Xion asked.

Felix nodded. "Thankfully Axel was there when I woke. I wasn't prepared to see someone in that black coat. I would have reacted violently. Not that I can fight with no Psynergy and no weapon."

Xion remembered that Felix's sword wasn't there when she saved him. "Oh. Sorry about that."

He waved her apology away. "Don't apologize for that. The sword was valuable, but my life was more important. More importantly, I need to tell you something. That Demyx guy wasn't the one I fought in town. The one I went after had silvery hair, and he wore a blindfold."

"I know," she said. "That was Riku. He's not a member of the Organization. He'd not even a Nobody. He's Sora's friend."

"That's right," Felix muttered. "You spoke of him before."

She looked at Felix. He was still, but his fists were clenched. His jaw trembled.

"Felix…"

"I was completely useless…" he spat. "Not only that, but I made everything worse. If I would have just stayed in that damn hotel room, you wouldn't have had to come and save me. You all nearly died because I made a poor choice."

Xion didn't know what to say. She moved over beside Felix and put her arm around his shoulder. He stiffened at her touch, but he did not move away.

"We all make mistakes," she said as compassionately as she could.

Felix's eyes were filled with anger and shame. And self-loathing.

"They took the Teleport Lapis." Felix said. "We'll have to go back once we recover our strength."

 

Night had fallen. They sat around a small fire in the forest. Felix, Xion, Garet, Axel, and Demyx. Piers was currently keeping watch on the hill.

At Felix's words, Demyx sat up. "They don't have your lapis."

Felix turned to the newcomer. "What makes you say that?" His eyes were suspicious. He clearly did not trust Demyx yet.

"When I saved you, I had water clones all over the palace," Demyx explained. "When I saw you were missing your sword and belongings, I was considerate enough to send a clone to their storeroom to get your stuff for you. But there was nothing there."

"You can do all that when you're not even there?" Garet asked. "That's pretty amazing."

"You're telling me you were able to search the entire palace without even being there?" Felix demanded. "I don't believe you."

"It's true," Xion said. "Back at the Organization, Demyx specialized in recon missions. He could use his water clones to cover ground twice as fast as anyone else. He can perceive everything they see."

"Then what did Blados do after we left?" Axel asked.

"He and his men were busy fighting off my clones," Demyx said. "He was complaining a lot, but he was tough. He was able to take out a hundred clones in under a minute." Demyx snickered, as though that was funny somehow. "Not everyone can do that."

"And that's with a hamstrung ankle," Axel pointed out. "He was pretty fierce when I fought him on my own. Nothing we couldn't handle together, but a nuisance in a one-on-one battle."

"He'll come after us," Xion said. "I have no doubt. He was vengeful."

"I see," Felix muttered. "So this guy is tough. But that doesn't answer my question. If my things weren't in their storeroom, then where were they?"

"My guess is that someone moved them," Demyx suggested. "I don't know anything else on the topic."

Felix scratched his chin, deep in thought. "But who…?"

The camp grew silent, ruminating on the subject.

"Well… there's another thing I ought to mention," said Demyx. "You remember when we spoke, Xion? We were talking about Felix here, and how he got caught? And I told you that he was seen in town fighting someone with our coat who wore a blindfold?"

"Of course," Xion replied. "That was Riku."

"Right. Well, I saw someone hanging around the palace who fit the description. And with how specific that description is, I don't think it was a coincidence. He was just standing around in the hallways, like he was waiting for me. He had a backpack in his hands, too. And a big, golden sword on his back. Not very subtle. I think he wanted me to find him, actually. Anyway, after I saw him, he turned and ran off."

Felix just stared at Demyx incredulously, his jaw hanging open. "W-what? Are you serious? You saw this and only thought to mention it just now?!"

Demyx shrugged. Xion placed her hand on Felix's shoulder. "It's okay. He did the same thing to us."

"You see why I don't trust you people?" Felix said. "That's very important information! Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"You didn't ask."

Felix growled. "Whatever. I'm too tired to argue about this." He sat back down. Then he seemed to realize something. "Of course! When I fought that Riku kid, he only struck me once and then he kept his distance for the rest of the fight. I bet we was the one who took the Teleport Lapis. Iodem wouldn't know to take a mere necklace from me."

"Demyx," Xion said as gently as she could. "Is there anything else you should tell us?"

Demyx thought about it. "I think he's going to Venus Lighthouse."

"What makes you think that?" Garet asked.

"He said so to my clone. He said: 'I'll be at Venus Lighthouse'. Then he ran off."

Felix just sighed.

"So Riku took Felix's stuff and he's waiting for us at Venus Lighthouse," Xion said. "Demyx, you really should have told us this realier."

"Ask next time," The Nobody said with a shrug.

"So we're going to Venus Lighthouse next, right?" Garet asked. "Which is where we were supposed to go in the first place. Ugh, this would have been much simpler if we had just gone with Felix's suggestion in the first place. Without the Teleport Lapis, we'll have to go through the desert."

"If Riku was after the lapis from the beginning, then means he knew what makes it significant," Axel said. "He wanted to trap us here. But he won't be able to use it himself without Psynergy, right?"

"Indeed," Felix replied. "But if he knows that, then what else does he know? If he's waiting at Venus Lighthouse, then he must realize that we're going there. So he must know about Xion's quest."

"You think he's luring us into a trap?" Garet asked.

"I have no doubt of it," Felix said darkly.

 

The next day, they were traveling again. Demyx was still with them, a fact that made Felix uncomfortable. When asked about it, he explained that he couldn't go back to Tolbi, after attacking the guards at the palace. Apparently his band was planning to move to Kalay anyway, so he would just meet up with them there.

Felix explained that without the Teleport Lapis, they would have to travel through the Suhalla Desert. He told Xion about the storm lizards that inhabited the desert, which sounded pretty scary. Felix reassured her that, while they certainly looked frightening, they were really just big pushovers.

He turned out to be right. The lizards first materialized as small cyclones that appeared in impassable locations. Piers would blast them with water, which would lure them out. With six tough fighters, one who could spawn limitless clones of himself, the battles were indeed a cakewalk. Without his sword, Felix was forced to hang back and use Psynergy. This made him very cross.

Xion kept Felix's lack of a weapon in mind when they reached Venus Lighthouse. Felix wanted to go straight in, but everyone else was tired from the journey through the desert, so he conceded with a sigh and they passed by the tower and rested in the small town of Lalivero. This time, it was Garet who had to stay in the inn. He explained that the town's leader, a man named Faran, might recognize him.

Xion offered to buy Felix a new sword while they were there, but he refused. He told Xion that his Sol Blade was unique, and he was so used to fighting with it that he was actually better off unarmed than with an ordinary blade. Xion respected his wishes, but she still wondered if it was the truth, or if Felix was just ashamed of losing his weapon in the first place.

After resting in Lalivero, they were finally ready to go to the Lighthouse. The Adepts had recovered their Psynergy during the trip, and the extra rest in Lalivero assured everyone was at peak strength. A few hours later, they were standing at the gates of the lighthouse. And unsurprisingly, they found the two guards from before laying on the ground. Xion checked their wounds. They were alive.

"So he's already here," Felix muttered. "He must have just arrived, too. These guys haven't been like this for very long."

"So what does this mean?" Xion asked.

"We may have a chance," Felix said. "If he just got here, then he may not have had time to prepare whatever scheme he's got in mind. If we move swiftly, then perhaps we can catch him and turn the tables."

Demyx cleared his throat. Everyone turned to face him. "So now's probably as good a time as any to tell you guys…"

"What information have you withheld now?" Felix asked, suspicion in his voice.

"No, nothing like that," Demyx said. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be leaving now."

"What?" Axel exclaimed. "What are you saying? Why have you been traveling with us if you intended to leave anyway?"

"You guys know fighting isn't my thing, right?" Demyx. "Well, call it a premonition, but I have the feeling that there will be lots of fighting in that tower. I only came this far to hang out with guys. I never promised to join you in battle."

Felix rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm surprised you haven't taken off already."

"Felix!" Xion admonished him. "Don't talk like that! He saved our lives! He doesn't owe us anything. If he wants to leave, then who are we to tell him he can't? We're in his debt, not the other way around."

"Pics or it didn't happen," Felix said with a wave of his hand.

"W-what?"

"I don't really know," Felix said. "I just felt like saying that for some reason."

"Felix, I was there! I saw him show up out of nowhere and take on the whole Tolbi guard force with his clones. If he hadn't done that, they would have stabbed your unconscious body all the hell."

"I'm not debating on what did or did not happen," Felix said. "But his behavior is far too suspicious. He saves us, then tags along for no reason? Waits to tell us important information? Then he wants to take off right when we arrive? For all we know, he's just going to wait in the woods, then follow us into the Lighthouse and stab us in the back."

"Why would he possibly do that after saving us?" Xion demanded.

"Perhaps he's collaborating with this Riku guy," Felix said, giving Demyx a hard stare.

"I agree," Piers said, standing beside Felix. "There are too many holes in his story."

"But guys!" Xion exclaimed. "He saved our lives!"

"That doesn't mean anything these days," Felix said, not taking his eyes from Demyx. "Saturos and Menardi saved my life once. We saw where that got me."

"Garet, you'll back me up on this, right?" she turned to her red-haired friend for support.

"I stand by my previous opinion that his haircut is awful," said Garet with a shrug of indifference.

"You're all hopeless," Xion sighed. "C'mon, Felix. You need to learn to accept help from other people!"

"What does that have to do with-?" Felix finally took his eyes off Demyx to face Xion. "You know what, never mind. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that I'm not about to let him just run-"

"Bye!" Demyx said suddenly, taking off at a run.

"Son of a-!" Felix raised his fist, preparing a Psynergy. Xion slapped his hand down and glared daggers at him.

"No!" she scolded him. "Felix, no!"

"I'm not a dog, Xion!" Felix exclaimed. "Damn that guy can run fast. He's already out of range." The Venus Adept lowered him fist in frustration.

"What is it with you lately?" Xion asked. "Why don't you trust my friends?"

"Because your friends are our enemies!" Felix replied. "We've been over this already! I still don't trust that one!" He pointed at Axel.

"Gee, thanks…" Axel muttered under his breath.

"Well, you need to open up to people, then!" Xion said.

"Thank you for the pointless psychoanalysis!" Felix sighed. "We've wasted enough time out here. Let's get moving."

"No!" Xion exclaimed, standing in Felix's way. "No! I'm going in by myself!"

Felix blinked. "Wait, what? You can't be serious."

"If you're all so worried about Demyx coming back, then you can stay out here and watch for him!" Xion said. "I'll take care of Riku by myself."

"Xion, c'mon…" Garet tried to reason with her, but she shook her head.

"Either I go in by myself, or not at all," she said with a tone of finality. "I'm mad at all of you."

"Xion, this is insane!" Felix exclaimed. "You can't do this by yourself!"

Xion glared at Felix. "What did you just say?" He immediately realized he'd made a mistake. Her voice had a malice in it he'd never heard from her before. It frightened him.

"I didn't mean-"

"You think I need to be protected, right?!" she demanded. "Well, I'm tired of being rescued! I'm going in by myself and that's final! And remember that we can't leave here until I have my Essence, so if I catch any of you following me, I'll turn right around and leave."

She turned on her heels, her black hair whipping behind her, and stomped into the lighthouse.

The four men stood there in silence for a while, awed by the sight of angry Xion. One of the fallen guards stirred and moaned, but was quickly silenced by a firm kick from Garet.

"What in the name of Iris was that all about?" Felix sighed.

"Women, man," Garet laughed.

"Regardless of what she says, can we really let her go by herself?" Piers asked.

Felix shook his head. "Or course not. It's not like I doubt her abilities, but that Riku kid was tough even for me."

"Suuure…" Garet said with a sly grin.

"Plus I want my sword back," Felix added.

"So then what do we do?" Axel asked, boredom in his voice.

"We'll wait for… I guess five minutes, and then we'll go after her. We'll keep our distance unless she needs out help."

"That won't work," Axel said. "She'll be expecting that. She'll wait around somewhere for a while, expecting to catch us in the act."

"Hmm… Ten minutes, then."

Axel gave Felix a look.

"Twenty." the Venus Adept conceded.

 

Venus Lighthouse was pretty easy for Xion. Even with all the sand-waterfalls and the circuit puzzles, it was fairly easy to navigate, and the monsters were no worse than the ones in the desert. The electric wall Felix had mentioned was already deactivated, so there were no problems there. There were no problems at all, actually. Xion was full of confidence. She was practically skipping in the final stretch of the tower.

But she was no fool. She kept her eyes peeled for Riku, and for the boys as well. At one point, she stopped in one of the sand-waterfall rooms and waited for a few minutes in case they followed her anyway. She was relieved that they didn't.

She was a bit confused as to how to get to the aerie, but she figured out that she needed to go down a chute onto a platform, which would take her to the top. A bit strange, but the real problem was that it would leave her unable to prepare if Riku was waiting with an attack.

There was no other way, however. She jumped through the chute, and drew her katana in advance as the platform carried her up.

Riku was not waiting for her when she arrived, thankfully. But she did notice him as she stepped off onto the main platform of the aerie. He was standing, with his back to her, staring off in the distance, in the direction she'd come with the others.

She noted Felix's golden sword across Riku's back.

Xion approached Riku from behind, her katana in hand, ready to react to any movement he might make. He did not move or acknowledge her in any way.

"You're alone," Riku said quietly. "I'm surprised."

"I didn't want to involve my friends in this," she said. "I know you're a good person. And they are, too. I don't want you all killing each other when the problem is between you and I."

"How considerate of you," he said. Xion couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Riku, I know you're here for me," she said. "I understand why you're doing this. I know I've betrayed you and Sora. But I have to ask you. Please, Riku… I just need a bit more time."

"Time?" he echoed. "Why? What are you planning?"

He didn't know? Then why had he known she would be going to the lighthouse? "I've learned of a way we can settle this. Nobody had to die. Not me, or Roxas. Sora can wake up with all his memories, and we can go on. That's what I've been doing here in Weyard. This world's guardian told me."

Riku was silent for a while. "I see," he said at last. "And you believed this guardian?"

"What reason would he have to lie to me?"

"I doubt he simply offered this to you for nothing in return."

"Of course not," she replied. "I already fulfilled my end of the bargain." In a sense, anyway. The circumstances had become too complex by that point to know for sure. The Wise One hadn't spoken to her since the dream in Loho, so she had no way of knowing for sure. But she wasn't going to give up, even if the Wise One did appear and tell her he wouldn't help her. Even if the Wise One was unwilling to grant her the new body, that didn't mean that there was no other way to do it. She refused to give up, even if reality itself stood against her.

As it had from the very beginning.

"So what's the wait, then?" Riku asked her.

"I need four Essences," she explained. "One from each lighthouse. I already have one, but a lot has been happening since then, so it's been taking longer than I thought it would. I'm here to get the second." She pointed to the bright orange sphere of energy behind Riku to reinforce her words.

"I see," Riku said once more. He grew quiet for a while, considering her words. "But you're not a Nobody, Xion. You're a Replica. Your existence is farce at best. How could any of this be plausible?"

"I'm not a farce!" she cried out. "I've been changing since I came here! I have stronger emotions, and I've changed in other ways, too! I won't let you people keep telling me I'm not real when I know in my heart that I am!"

"Your heart? Pfft. Must I remind you of things you already know? Six months ago you would never have said these things. You would have simply accepted what you were and came along. When did this rebellious streak begin?"

"Riku, you're being a huge jerk right now. "

"If that's all you have to say, then we're done with this talk," Riku said with the same final tone she herself had used earlier. "Take a look at the Suhalla Gate."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just look. I won't strike you while your back's turned. You know I'm not a dirty fighter."

Hesitantly, Xion strode past Riku to the edge of the lighthouse. She gasped at what she saw. A massive crowd of black forms, seeping out of the narrow pass. An army. Far more than the hundred or so men she had seen in the palace a few day ago. At least a thousand armed soldiers.

"The entire Tolbi army followed you here," Riku explained. "Your actions in Tolbi were enough to earn you the hatred of the entire nation. Your killing of Babi was covered up by Blados, or course. But Iodem's death has become the catalyst of a jihad. They have been tracking you since you fled from the city. They will not stop hunting you until your head rests upon a pike at the city gates."

"They're so close…" Xion said softly, hardly able to belive what she was seeing. "How can Felix and the others not see this? How did we not notice this on our way here?"

"The cliffs and forest obscure vision, of course. Your companions will not see the army until it passes through the trees and swarm upon them."

"I have to warn them!" she went to run, but Riku grabbed her arm and stared at her through his blindfold.

"Don't worry about them," he said. "The army moves very quickly for such a large force. It will not take them long to get here. Your friends will have plenty of time to flee into the lighthouse, though. Surely they will not be foolish enough to face this legion, right? Even Adepts such as they cannot battle such a large amount of men. And I've seen what their explosives do to Adepts."

Xion twisted out of his grip and took a step back. "Riku… have you been following us?"

"An intuition told me you would appear at the Suhalla Pass at a certain time. I was skeptical, but I went anyway, and waited in the trees. To my surprise, you did appear. I have been at your heels ever since."

Riku reached into his pocket and produced the Teleport Lapis. "Through your conversations, I learned that this magic stone enabled your teleportation. So once Felix was alone, I drew him out and took it. I cannot use it, but I am no Adept, so I was not surprised." Riku returned the Lapis to his pocket.

"Once Felix was captured by the Tolbians, I expected them to kill him," Riku continued. "Your actions prevented that, so I took the chance to deprive him of his weapon instead." Riku indicted the Sol Blade with a tilt of his head. "This is truly a remarkable blade. Felix has no clue what potential it possesses."

"Demyx's appearance was unexpected, but it changed nothing," Riku continued. "Everything else that happened there is irrelevant. I never doubted you would escape. That Blados is powerful, but he's also a fool. Once you escaped, I followed you at a distance, waiting for you to get here."

"You wanted to draw us to the lighthouse…" Xion said.

"I didn't know you would come here either way," Riku said. "That is why I told Demyx's clone where to find me. The important thing was getting you here. No matter how I did it, all I needed was for you and Felix to get to the lighthouse. I knew Felix would not leave his teleportation stone and his sword. It didn't matter if it was very obviously a trap, because you would walk into it either way."

"Damn…" Xion swore, taking a step back. "You just wanted to kill me all along…"

"I was prepared to kill your friends first," Riku said. "The Adepts being casualties. Axel was a given, as we have unfinished business anyway. So it truly was considerate of you to come here alone, even if you didn't know it. Your Adept friends can live. Sora can deal with the Nobodies once he wakes up."

"You're ready to kill me now, even though you could have done it long ago? Why did you spare me back at the Destiny Islands? If you're just going to kill me anyway, then what was the point?!"

"In hindsight, I see that was a mistake."

"This is unfair! What right does Sora have to live that I don't?!"

Riku's mouth tightened in a rare sign of anger. "Sora is selfless. He sacrificed so much for the sake of a friend who didn't deserve it. You, on the other hand, are an abomination that should never have existed in the first place."

Xion was struck by his words. What he said was true, but… She'd already sworn not to give up unless there was absolutely no way out. Even if that meant fighting Riku…

She raised her katana.

The atmosphere had changed. The tense conversational feeling was gone, replaced by an even tenser suspense. Xion could feel the intent to kill coming from the blindfolded boy before her.

"We've talked enough," Riku said in a cold voice. "Get ready."

Riku raised his right hand and summoned his signature blade, the Soul Eater. Xion had faced him wielding that blade once before, and she knew he was an extraordinary swordsman. But she had also grown in skill, and if she could face someone like Blados on her own, she believed she could hold her own against Riku.

Then she remembered the Sol Blade.

The moment Riku unsheathed Felix's golden sword, she felt his already formidable energy nearly double in size. No… more like triple. It was unreal. She then understood why he had taken the blade. Not just to weaken Felix, but also to strengthen himself. A perfect plan. Riku didn't even need to escape when he was done with her. With such power, he actually could defeat the Tolbi army outside.

Riku stood, with the Soul Eater in his right hand, and the Sol Blade in his right. He was considerate enough to wait for her to make the first move.

Did she even have a chance?

She hated to admit it, but the answer was no. It wasn't her fault. Nobody could match power like she was facing right now. Even Xemnas would be trashed by someone like this.

She only had one chance. If she could separate him from the Sol Blade, she would be fighting a regular Riku instead of a Riku on crack. Her chances would go from none to slim. It was a long shot, but it was her only shot.

She would die if she made a single mistake.

Xion charged, separating the distance between them in a single movement. She had something of an understanding of Riku's fighting style after her brief battle with him all those months ago. However, he also knew her style. She would have to be inventive, to keep him on guard. Pressing the offensive was probably suicide, but she knew she wouldn't last a second on defense. She couldn't try to disarm him too quickly. If he figured out her strategy, he would never let it happen. She needed to wait until he let his guard down. Everyone did at some point, even a master swordsman.

She just hoped it happened to Riku before it happened to her.

Riku seemed surprised at first by her fierce attacks, but played the defensive without even a hint of effort. He looked like he was playing with her. He probably was.

The sound of their swords clashing rang throughout the aerie.

Xion quickly saw an opening, but she didn't go for it. With how skilled Riku was, any mistake he made was likely a ruse. She needed to wait for a genuine mistake. That was her only chance.

She would die if she made a single mistake.

Riku continued defending against her attacks, without even a hint of countering them. A small smile graced his lips. He was clearly going easy on her. She realized this, so she was holding back as well. Play to his overconfidence, she thought. She showed some feigned frustration. Not too much. Never overact.

She was using every trick she knew, praying it would pay off.

"You have improved," Riku said as she attacked him mercilessly and he defended without effort. "I'm impressed. But you should have known you had no chance from the beginning."

He was going to switch to the offensive! She recognized the signs. Overconfident fighters following this pattern always said something like that before changing up their attacks. She noted the slight change in his stance.

"I'll finish this as quickly and painlessly as possible."

NOW!

Riku shifted, holding his two blades in attack stance. In that exact moment, Xion feigned a defensive step back, but instead moved forward and struck Riku at the wrist of his left hand. He cried out in pure surprise and instinctively released the Sol Blade.

It worked! It actually worked!

Xion kicked the Sol Blade before Riku had a chance to recover. The sword clattered away uselessly, to the middle of the lighthouse, where it fell into the beacon and disappeared.

Xion grinned. She felt Riku's power dropping back down to its previous level. The blindfolded boy was visibly shocked. He took a step back.

"You… disarmed me…?!"

"Without that sword, you don't have that absurd boost in power!" she declared. "You should have realized I would go after it!"

Riku stared at her behind his blindfold, disbelief visible on his face. Then his lips curled into a satisfied grin.

"I did."

Riku dropped the Soul Eater and pulled back the sleeve of his left arm to the shoulder. There Xion saw some kind of mechanism attacked to Riku's shoulder. He pressed a button on the device, and it made some kind of whirling sound. The Sol Blade leaped back out of the beacon, sliding across the floor and flying back into Riku's awaiting hand. The sunlight cast a glare on the thin wire attaching the sword to Riku's device.

The moment Riku held the Sol Blade, the overwhelming power returned.

"A battle is ten percent skill," Riku said to her. "And ninety percent psychology. Confronted with a situation such as yours, it's only natural that you would understand that the boost in my power came from the Sol Blade. And you would understand that your only hope of beating me would come from disarming me. I understood that before you even showed up."

"No…" Xion couldn't help but despair. She had put in every ounce of effort she had, but it had been useless from the start. Riku had predicted her every move. Was this an omen of greater things? Was her entire quest such a futile effort?

The Soul Eater vanished from the floor and reappeared in Riku's right hand. "Now the true battle begins," he said. "I apologize for leading you on so far. This time, I will truly will end things quickly."

And then the last thing either of them counted on happened.

"Dance water, dance!"

Riku spun around to confront the unexpected element of the battle. He was immediately swarmed by twenty or so water clones. He shook them off quickly, but his perfect defense was vulnerable for a precious few seconds.

Xion didn't even hesitate. She swung her katana, aiming for an exact point of Riku's body. She sliced through his black coat and hit his shoulder perfectly, cutting his wire mechanism in two pieces and separating him from the Sol Blade. She must have also cut a muscle, for Riku's arm instantly went lift and he dropped the Sol Blade.

She followed through as she had before. She kicked the Sol Blade, sending it bouncing away uselessly. It didn't fall into the beacon this time, but landed on the other side of the aerie.

Events were unfolding too quickly for Riku to react. He jumped back instinctively, landing behind the sphere of energy at the beacon. Xion glanced over at the Sol Blade, but was relieved to see it was being guarded by a group of water clones.

Demyx approached Xion from the platform she had arrived on. His sitar was slung over his shoulder, and he wore a satisfied grin.

"Demyx, how in the world did you get here?" Xion asked. She wasn't angry or anything. She was overjoyed to see him.

"You mean how did I get past Felix and them?" Demyx asked. He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'm just good at sneaking."

"You…" Riku growled from across the aerie. "You're not the lazy oaf you pretend to be."

"No, I am," Demyx replied. "I just make an exception for her."

"This is the second time you've saved my life," Xion said, smiling. "Thank you. I hate to ask, but…"

"Of course," Demyx said. He readied his sitar. "Let's beat this guy together."

Her confidence renewed, Xion charged into battle. Demyx remained behind, summoning and controlling his water clones with his sitar. With his massive source of power gone, and only his right hand usable, Riku was now manageable. But what really tipped the scales in their favor was the water clones. Riku was so busy fighting them that he was unable to focus all his attention on Xion. She was able to slip past his defenses and land a few flesh wounds on him. Frustration began to appear on Riku's normally impassive face.

"Damn!" a curse slipped out of the young swordsman's lips as Xion landed another blow, a slash running across his back. His black coat was nor torn and frayed in several places. He was even sweating.

Riku was surrounded by water clones on all sides, and Xion stood nearby, her katana in hand.

"I think the tide has changed, huh Riku?" she asked.

"Indeed," he muttered under his breath. "This won't do. I can't let Sora down…"

Riku moved with surprising agility. With a broad swing of his Soul Eater, he struck down the wall of water clones in front of him and charged at Demyx. The Nobody realized what was about to happen. His water clones moved to defend him, but it was too late already. Xion was frozen to the spot. She wanted to run and help her friend, but it was already too late.

Xion cried out as Riku's sword pierced Demyx's chest.

Demyx slowly looked down at the crimson sword sticking out of his ribs. "Well, that's just…" He slid off the blade, onto the floor of the aerie. There was no blood on Riku's sword.

"Nooooo!" Xion screamed. With no regard for Riku, she ran past him and knelt by Demyx's side, holding him in her arms.

"Crap," Demyx said softly. "I got stabbed."

Riku stepped away. "He is mortally wounded. Say your goodbyes. I will wait." He stepped away and stood there, his back to them. He did not take advantage of the situation. Even though the clones were gone, he did not go after the Sol Blade.

"Demyx…" Xion whispered. She couldn't believe what was happening. So quickly, everything had changed. Demyx was…

She couldn't even accept it.

There was no blood seeping out of the hole in Demyx's chest. It just made the whole scene worse. Xion wished so badly that there was blood. The lack of blood just reminded her that the dying friend in her arms wasn't even human. It was beyond disturbing to her.

"I guess I was asking for it, huh?" Demyx said to her. "Man, what are my bandmates gonna think when I don't show up in Kalay…?"

"I'll tell them," she said.

"Nah, let them think I ditched them," he said with a slight chuckle. "Better that than a hero. I'd rather they hate me than cry for me."

She didn't like watching people die, she realized. It was only natural to feel that way, but still. She hated it more than anything.

"You were the only one I would have done this for, you know," Demyx said. "I know it sounds sappy, but it's true. I guess it was bound to happen. There were only two girls around, and Larxene was such a bi… such a witch. But you were always so nice, even if everyone else hated me."

She felt a tear falling now. So that was why he kept coming back to help her.

"Promise you'll beat him, okay?" he said. His voice was growing fainter.

Xion tried to say 'yes', but she choked up. So she just nodded instead.

Riku was as still as a statue.

"Good," Demyx whispered. "Oh, and one more thing… promise me you'll always…"

She never got to know what that last request was. Demyx faded away in her arms right then.

She sobbed a few times. Riku did nothing. He simply stood there, unmoving, giving Xion her time.

It didn't take very long for the sorrow to turn into rage. She wrapped her fingers around her katana and rose. Riku turned around.

"Our battle will commence once you make your move," Riku said mechanically. "Note that my first action will be to go after the Sol Blade. I felt it fair to point that out."

"You son of a bitch…!" she said through her sobs. "You say we don't have hearts… But tell me! What's wrong with this scene?! Why am I the only one who thinks this whole fight is wrong?!"

"I'm only doing as much as I owe my friend," Riku said, his voice still as level as a plateau. "I should have done this a long time ago. Now get ready. My waiting is a mercy, not a right. I can take it away at any time."

Xion's eyes flashed with pure rage. "Fine, you heartless bastard! You were the one who brought it to this, not me! I don't care what Sora is going to think when he wakes up! I'll kill you right now!"

Xion attacked.


	25. Soft Trees Break the Fall

Felix paced back and forth, as impatient as always. He would often glance up at the lighthouse's beacon, frowning as he did so. The others watched him silently, well aware of what was on his mind.

"I think we've waited long enough," he said suddenly. "We should go help her."

"You're awfully eager," Axel said. "Why are you so determined to save her all the time? Do you not think she can take care of herself?"

Felix glared at Axel. "I do. But I can't just stand here without knowing if she's alright."

Axel shrugged.

"Are you trying to say something?" Felix demanded.

"I think we should let Xion do this herself," Axel said. "This Riku guy... this is a personal battle between them. You should let her settle her own business."

"I'm the leader," Felix said. "If I say we go, then we go. I'm not about to abandon her. I trust in her abilites, but she herself has expressed awe at Riku's abilities. She may need help."

"You certainly 'helped' a lot in the last battle," Axel sneered.

Felix clenched his fists. He stood before Axel, staring the tall man right in his eyes. Neither moved.

Garet and Piers watched silently, anxious and ready to move if something happened.

"Say that again," Felix said through clenched teeth.

"Your foolish decision to go after Riku accomplished nothing," Axel said. He did not bat at eyelash as Felix glared him down. "You were captured, and Xion risked not only her life, but the lives of everyone here to save you. And you were useless. You just lay there the entire time as we fought. You were as weak as a kitten. So I don't think you have any right to claim that Xion might need your help."

Felix's glare intensified. Axel stood, as motionless as a statue.

Piers cautiously went to Felix and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Take a deep breath," Piers said softly. "Infighting is the last thing we need right now."

"You wouldn't be alive right now if I hadn't spared you," Felix said to Axel. "Don't forget that."

Felix turned to walk away, but Axel spoke again.

"It was Xion's pleading and my offering to help you stop the Organization that spared me, not any mercy of yours," Axel laughed. "And if it hadn't been for my immunity to those grenades Blados used, you would have had only Xion to protect you. The battle might not have ended so peachy if that had been the case."

Felix stopped for a moment, trembling very slightly in rage, but he said nothing and continued walking away, disappearing behind the treeline.

"And now he runs away," Axel chuckled.

"He's just walking it off, man," Garet said. "What's with you? Why are you provoking him? Do you want a stalagmite up your ass or something? Cause I've seen him do that to people who piss him off."

"Xion deserves better than someone like him," Axel said. The Nobody walked over to the entrance and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and looking down.

"I understand that you have faith in Xion's abilites and everything," Garet said. "But aren't you at least concerned? The way you speak, it seems like you couldn't care less if she's okay or not, so long as we respect her wishes."

"I am concerned," Axel said. "But I know she'll do the smart thing if things get too bad. She isn't proud enough to not ask for help when she needs it. She wouldn't fight to the death. Not like he would." Axel tilted his chin towards the forest, where Felix had vanished.

"I must concede, Felix is something of a reckless fighter," Piers said with a sigh. "But I must disagree with you elsewhere. I'm also on edge. I don't feel that we should be standing here, doing nothing, when a dangerous enemy is waiting at the aerie."

Axel's eyes found the ground at his feet.

They stood there in silence, waiting for Felix's return. Several minutes passed.

"What's taking him so long?" Garet asked aloud.

As if in response to his question, there was the sound of an explosion, and the image of earth being torn asunder from the direction where Felix had vanished. Trees were tossed away like mere branches in the wind. A boulder landed and split apart not far from where Garet stood.

"I'm guessing that was Felix," Garet muttered, eying the rock that had nearly struck his skull.

"Is that his way of blowing off steam?" Axel asked.

"No," Piers said. "Something's wrong..."

The Lemurian took off in the direction of the explosion. After a brief exchange of glances, Garet and Axel followed him.

Once around the corner they found Felix standing before a massive wall of brown clay, recently erected by his Psynergy. The earthen shield filled the narrow space of the Suhalla Pass, from wall-to-wall, completely separated them from the road back to Lalivero. On the other side, they could hear unintelligible shouting.

The Venus Adept stood with his fists clenched, glaring down the wall as though he hated it. "They followed us all the way here," he said without turning.

"Blados?" Piers asked.

Felix shook his head. "Not just him. The entire damn army."

Garet groaned in frustration. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"How many?" Piers asked.

"It was hard to judge," Felix said. "The pass was narrow and I only had a few moments to react. At least a thousand. Perhaps more."

The Lemurian let out a rare curse under his breath. It wasn't hard to see why. Normally, such a situation would be difficult, but not impossible for the Adepts. But against even a small team of soldiers who fought with those Psy Grenades... They were as helpless as kittens before those things. And now they were up against an entire army who fought with them. Axel wouldn't be affected, but he couldn't take an entire army. His fire magic was good for fighting groups of enemies. But it wasn't unlimited.

With that thought in mind, Felix took command. "We retreat to the Lighthouse. Axel, you take the rear. Use your magic to hold them off. Our abilities are useless against them, so we'll be relying on you completely if they break through."

Axel nodded. He had regained a modicum of respect for Felix. The Adept was able to put aside personal issues and admit that he needed Axel, even if if they were incapable of getting along.

"We have only one chance of getting out of this situation," Felix explained. "We have to get the Teleport Lapis back from Riku. Xion's pride can come later. Do you still object, Axel?"

"I stand by my previous opinion, but the situation has changed," Axel conceded. "Riku is powerful, but he should be no match against all of us. We can defeat him quickly and retreat before the Tolbians penetrate the Lighthouse." Felix was willing to extend the branch to Axel to a degree, so he would return the favor.

"Let us hope that is the case," Felix said ominously.

They turned and fled to the Lighthouse entrance. As they did, the base of Felix's stone wall began to crack.

 

They were dancing.

Any competent swordsman would admit that a battle between two skilled fighters was more like a dance than true, raw, fist-fighting. True combat between two people is usually short, brutal, and bloody. It is nothing like the way it was portrayed in stories. It was over in thirty seconds.

But swordplay was an exception, if it is between two masters. A battle between a master and an amateur was no different than any other such battle. The master would slay the amateur in a few seconds, unless some miracle were to occur.

There was no doubt that Riku was a master. Even with his meager self-training, he was a prodigal swordsman. Riku was the sort of swordsman that would come to be retold in legends centuries later.

And Xion... she was an abnormality. An anomaly. She should never have existed, and the fact that she did was a miracle in itself. So it was fair that she was able to match this living legend.

Their blades clashed, and they danced.

But it was a dance that would end in a moment if either were to make a mistake.

Xion was matching Riku. That was the first thing he noticed. He broke apart their swords and leaped back, putting some distance between them. He needed to rethink his strategy.

Xion stood unmoving, watching him warily. The Sol Blade in the corner of the aerie was a focus of attention between them both. Riku was trying his best to get to it, and Xion was doing her best to keep it from him. She was doing well, he had to admit. The death of Demyx must have motivated her.

Riku allowed himself the rare luxury of true sight for a moment, pulling back his blindfold and watching the small girl with a single eye. He saw in her many things. Determination. Sorrow. Hatred. An unbending will.

He saw her eyes. They were Sora's eyes.

He could not stop the regret from filling him. He'd felt a connection with the girl from the moment he had met her. Under different circumstances, they could likely have become quite close. No doubt he was drawn to her because, in a strange way, she was Sora. And he had always loved Sora. So it would only make sense that he would feel affection for this girl.

But ultimately, that meant nothing. She wasn't Sora. She was, at best, a pale imitation of his friend. The true Sora was comatose. And he would remain so until Xion was gone.

Riku could not have both. And he loved Sora far more than Xion.

So he was resolute. He released the blindfold, letting it fall back in place, blinding his true sight once more to the world. That was his final moment of kindness. From that moment on, Riku would kill his emotions and become a machine. The machine that would be needed to be to save Sora. The machine that could kill this girl in front of him.

Xion said nothing as Riku watched her for a moment with his true eye. She wondered what was going through his mind, but ultimately concluded that it didn't matter. With the death of Demyx, she had given up on the possibility of Riku becoming an ally to her cause. He was an enemy now, and every action he took was under suspicion.

Xion decided that Riku was likely rethinking his course of action. Under normal circumstances, she would give her enemy the courtesy of decided what to do before they fought. But Riku had just killed Demyx. He didn't deserve such treatment anymore.

So she moved in, her katana raised for the attack. Riku quickly raised the Soul Eater to parry. Their battle resumed, and Xion forced Riku farther away from the Sol Blade. He was on the defensive now, with no plan beyond simply defeating his opponent. Their blades clashed as they danced with the distinct sound of steel meeting steel.

And Xion became aware of something with that sound. Her katana was breaking. The blade was chipped and slightly bent. It was making sounds it should not have with each clash. In contrast, Riku's Soul Eater was unmarred and perfect. Of course. Riku's was a magic sword, while Xion was fighting with a mere blade of steel. After several months of service, the sword was nearing the end of its life.

Riku took advantage of her momentary distraction to push her back. Surprised by the amount of force he shoved her with, Xion stumbled at the rim of the beacon. Her arms swung back of their own volition, to keep her from falling back into the well, and her hand connected with the golden sphere of Venus energy.

She saw white. While the transfer of energy at Mercury Lighthouse had been swift and graceful, this was different. Pain shot through her arm as the Venus Essence traveled through her body, coming to rest in her bosom. She grit her teeth, trying to maintain her composure.

Ideally, she would have absorbed the Essence after the battle with Riku, when she had the luxury of time to prepare for the new sensations. But she had touched the beacon by accident. Riku did not mistake his opportunity. He moved in to strike.

Xion deflected the strike, but her movement was slow and awkward. Something was wrong. Her body felt heavy. She felt dizzy. This was different from when she absorbed the Mercury Essence. Her body was shutting down on her.

"Xion!"

Despite her previous words against them, she blessed her luck that her friends were here to help her. But they were just arriving. In the time it would take them to get to her, Riku would have already finished her off. Already he was raising his blade...

In any other circumstance, Xion would not have resorted to dirty tactics in a fight. But it was a matter of life or death, so she felt no guilt when she brutally kneed Riku in the crotch. She must have overdone it though, as he cried out and coughed up a mouthful of crimson blood as she jumped away.

Whatever, she told herself. He killed Demyx.

The colors were too bright. She was losing focus of the world around her. She didn't see Felix rush to her, all she felt was his reassuring hands on her shoulder.

"...ght?"

She wasn't hearing anything now. All she could perceive was the sound of her own pulse. The world around her was swooshing by.

She felt Felix holding her and she collapsed.

 

"Xion! Xion!"

Felix held the unconscious girl in his arms on the far end of the aerie. Riku stood impassively, watching them without a word. The others – Garet, Piers, and Axel – had surrounded Riku with their weapons drawn.

"What happened?!" Felix demanded of the blindfolded swordsman.

"She touched that," he replied in a level voice, indicating the glowing beacon. "I do not know why she reacted in such a way."

Felix carried Xion as far away from the center of the aerie, where the battle would be, as he could. He lay her down on the floor, and tenderly brushed her ebony bangs away from her eyes.

Then he rose and turned to Riku.

"I'll give you one chance," he said to the swordsman. "Give me the Teleport Lapis. We will kill you if you do not."

Riku's silence was his answer.

Felix noticed the Sol Blade nearby. He went to it and picked it up. Riku watched him, but did not move.

"This is mine," he said. He felt the hilt in his hands, reassured that his weapon was back in his hands.

"You don't even know how to use that blade," Riku said. "It is no better than a child's toy in your hands. You have no clue the potential that blade would have if wielded by its proper owner."

"We'll see how little I know when I slay you with it."

Felix went back to Riku. "Xion is unconscious. Can I at least have your word that you will not attack a defenseless girl?"

"I make no such promise," Riku said. "I am here to do only one thing, and that is end her life. If you hand her over to me, I will give you back your Teleport Lapis, and you can escape from the Tolbi army."

"You already know my answer to that, so do not even waste my time with the proposition," Felix growled. "Rethink your situation. It's four against one. You have no chance. If you want to save your friend, then leave here and live. You can't help Sora if you're dead."

Riku said nothing. Instead, he raised his sword. The others tensed. The atmosphere was filled with murderous intent. As soon as Riku moved, the battle would begin.

"Greetings, whelps."

They all turned. Blados stood at the entrance, his massive katana held over his shoulder. He strode over to where they were gathered, as though oblivious to the battle about to take place.

Blados placed his hand on Felix's shoulder like he was greeting a friend. "You've recovered. Good for you." He noticed Xion's unconscious form and smirked.

Felix shoved Blados' hand away. The strange man laughed.

"Why the hostility? You've all made my life considerably better. I've been waiting for the chance to gut that pig Iodem for ages now. You all took care of that for me. Now I'm the acting leader of Tolbi."

Blados took notice of Riku for the first time. "I don't know you, but whatever."

Riku said nothing, as usual.

"I don't like Adepts," Blados said with his arms spread wide. "I kill Adepts. That's why I was going to kill you guys. So nothing personal, alright? I was just trying to cause a genocide. But as it turns out, the events of that day worked out in my favor. So I'll make an exception for you four. However..."

Blados pointed at Xion. "She fucked everything up. She killed Iodem. She killed Babi. And she made me bleed my own blood. I want her. I need her to be dead, or I cannot rest. My men need to see the head of the one who slayed their emperor. So here's my offer. Turn her over to me. If you do that, I won't have my men swarm this place and murder you deader than dead. Either way, the bitch dies, but if you cooperate with me, you guys can save your own skins. How about it?"

Felix spat at Blados' feet.

His grin vanished. "About what I expected from you scum. Well, at least I gave you a chance. My men will swarm this place in five minutes when they do not receive my signal. So lets finish this before that happens."

Blados drew his sword in a single movement and swung. Everyone was force to leap away to avoid the massive arc of the blade. All except Riku who merely ducked.

"May I make a proposition?" Riku asked Blados in mid-swing.

Felix and the others landed some distance away from Blados. The four fighters stood in different corners of the aerie, still surrounding the two swordsmen.

"Speak fast," Blados said.

"We both want the girl dead," Riku told Blados as he straightened and stood back up. "So why not work together? I can help you fight them."

"Works for me," Blados said. "But I won't be needing your aid." The swordsman dropped his lengthy blade and removed his belt. Half a dozen Psy Grenades were attached to the belt.

"No!" Felix exclaimed.

Blados pulled a pin from the belt and held it above his head. "This will take care of them. The redhead is the only one who will still be standing after the explosion, but he won't be a problem."

"Attack him!" Felix shouted at Piers and Garet, who stood behind Blados. "Throw it over the edge of the-!"

But he didn't have enough time to finish. The grenade belt exploded above Blados' head, the blast passing through him harmlessly. The explosion momentarily blinded everyone.

"Fools. Falling for the same thing twice..." Blados' voice trailed off. He was genuinly shocked, because the Adepts were still standing.

"Your attack was ineffective," Riku noted without humor.

"How the...?!" Blados was flabbergasted. "That was six grenades! They should be down! What happened to the...?"

Blados trailed off again. Because he'd noticed it. Everyone had, at that point.

The beacon. The normally golden sphere of energy was different. It was swelling, pulsating, breathing. It must have absorbed the energy of the blast.

The atmosphere was changed. A sinister premonition had gripped everyone present. The beacon was growing dark, its previous radiance fading. Everyone was backing away from it. They knew something bad was about to happen.

"We have to get out of here," Piers said quietly.

Felix turned, remembering that Xion was unconscious and could not protect herself. He jumped, landing on top of her to shield her from it.

And just in time, too.

The beacon exploded, taking half of the aerie with it.

 

It was a sound like many angels singing in harmony.

It echoed through Xion's ears and her mind. Naturally, it was beautiful. She couldn't help but smile. Such sounds were always so pleasant when one was sleeping.

Then her bliss was broken by the onset of sharp pain.

The beautiful sound was not angels singing, but a massive explosion.

Her body was in agonizing pain. She had no idea what was happened, but she felt strong arms holding her close, trying in vain to shield her from the brunt of the damage. It wasn't working, because she was in so much pain she couldn't think.

Some kind of primal fear had gripped Xion. There was something very terrible nearby, and every instinct she had was telling her to get away from it.

And then, there was the sensation of falling. It was a welcome relief from the fear. It meant she was being taken away from the terrible, unspeakable thing. Some degree of lucidity came back to her. She realized it was Felix who was holding her. And they were falling. Strange, she could have sworn they had been in a similar situation before...

Of course. When they'd first met.

So Xion expected there to be water when they landed. She braced herself for the feeling. They would break the surface of the water, and she would have to escape his unconscious death-grip.

But they landed in a waterfall of sand instead.

She closed her eyes and held her breath as she was buried under the sand. The powerful current ripped Felix away from her. She didn't know which direction the waterfall of sand was taking her, for she'd lost her sense of direction after the fall. The sand-waterfall was merciless in the way only nature could be, pulling her with it. She fought to keep from being suffocated by it, but it was hopeless. She didn't even know which direction up was. Already, her lungs were screaming for oxygen. She felt like the pressure would crush her body. If she didn't get out soon...

And then she burst free, tumbling away across a dune of sand. Her eyes opened up, but she saw only sand before her. She coughed, spitting out sand. Everything was aching. Her head was still spinning. She felt like throwing up.

What a way to be woken up, she thought with no small amount of cynicism.

She tried to stand up, but she was so dizzy that she tumbled back onto the hard sand below her.

She tried to remember what was happening. Things gradually returned to her. Venus Lighthouse, Riku, Demyx's death...

She fought down the wave of emotion. There was time for grieving later.

She tried to rise once more, and this time she was able to stand.

The last thing Xion remembered was accidentally touching the Venus beacon during the battle with Riku. Felix and the others had arrived after that, but she hadn't stayed awake to see what happened.

She looked around. She was in a large chamber, some kind of room within the Lighthouse. She recognized the architecture from Mercury Lighthouse, though it was orange and gold instead of white and blue.

In normal circumstances, she could see that sand would flow freely through this room and into the next. However, the wall had collapsed, causing the sand to pile up and slowly fill this room.

The dune of sand she was standing on was actually halfway to the ceiling.

She heard a groan behind her and realized she had forgotten something.

"Oh! Felix!" She turned and saw him, collapsed and half-buried in a pile of sand. She ran to his side, pulled him out of the sand, and checked his injuries.

He had a few mild burn marks on his back, but otherwise he was untouched. However, when he stirred and tried to turn, he hissed in pain and fell flat.

"Ow..." he mumbled.

"Felix, how do you feel?" She said, unsure exactly what to ask.

He smirked. "Everything aches. But otherwise, I'm fine." Felix forced himself to a sitting position, wincing as he did so. He looked around, confused by the alien surroundings.

"I think we ended up inside the lighthouse somehow," Xion explained. Felix closed his eyes and nodded.

"That bastard Blados showed up," Felix explained. "Something weird happened... There was an explosion."

"Something weird?"

"I don't know. He tried to use those grenade things. The beacon... It got all dark and veiny."

"Veiny?"

"Yeah. And then it blew up. I think it blew a hole right in the floor of the aerie. We must have fallen in."

Xion wondered how accurate Felix'x recollection of the event was. What he was saying wasn't making much sense, but it was all she had to go on. Strange things had been happening recently.

Xion noticed the burn marks on Felix's back. "You shielded me?"

"You were completely defenseless. You may have died if I hadn't."

She smiled. "Thank you." She knew it wasn't just that. "Even though I told you not to come and help me, you still did. I guess I was counting on you not to listen to me."

Felix looked like me wanted to say something, but he bit his tongue and said nothing.

They fell into silence. Xion was exhausted. The past few days had been quite tiring, and Xion was finding it taxing to keep up. She just wanted to relax for a while. But while Xion was content with the gentle silence, interrupted only by the soft sound of the flowing sand, but there were more questions that needed asked.

"Uh..." she muttered, scratching her head. "Oh! What happened to Garet and Piers?"

"I dunno," Felix said, frowning. "They were with me at the aerie. Either they're still there, or they might have fallen to a different part of the lighthouse. I think the sand flows branch off. It's been a while since I've been here."

"That's right, you've been here before. Was this room like this before?" She pointed out the congested flow of the sand.

Felix stared for a moment, not seeming to understand her question. Then his jaw dropped. "Whoa, wait a minute... The sand is blocked! This room is half filled!"

"I know, right? Any idea what might be causing it?"

"Hmm... The Organization, perhaps? Would they have any reason to do something like this, like how they were blocking the Hermes' Water at Mercury Lighthouse?"

"I couldn't imagine. I don't even know what they were trying to accomplish by drying up the fountain at the last lighthouse. And it was Demyx who was stationed here, remember? He would have told us if they ordered him to do something."

Felix scoffed. "Yes, like he told us about Riku."

"Good point," Xion said, suddenly downcast. "Felix, Demyx was-" She considered telling Felix about Demyx's death, but she realized that she would choke up if she started talking about it. "Nevermind," She said softly.

"Well, I don't know what's going on right now, but I'm feeling better," Felix rose, only trembling slightly. "I can use my Psynergy to see if something is blocking the passage down there."

Felix raised his hand and closed his eyes, using his Psynergy to probe the sand at their feet. As sand was merely a sparser form of earth, he could easily check to see if there was some sort of foreign substance blocking the flow.

Xion watched him silently. In the past, she had been aware of Felix's use of Psynergy only by the after-effects. The ruptured earth or the wounds he healed were all she would see. But after Mercury Lighthouse, she had begun to percieve a ghostly light around Felix when he used Psynergy, and a strange sort of heaviness in the air. Occasionally she would glimpse a faint orange or golden light when he cast his spells.

But now, she could see Felix's Psynergy in a way she hadn't before. She could feel it immensely, and sense the weight radiating off of his body. Felix was a very powerful Adept, and it was only then that she could feel the immense Psynergy that he carried around at all times. It was overwhelming, to suddenly be aware of such a force in the air. And all he was doing was checking the ground beneath them! If Felix were to attack an enemy with one of his more powerful spells, would the energy be too much for her to handle? Were all Adepts so sensitive to each-others energy?

Felix opened his eyes, and he began to chuckle. She watched him curiously, as he laughed at some sort of private joke.

"What?"

"What are the odd...?" he wondered aloud. "Yeah, I know what's down there, blocking the sand. The dead body of a dragon, missing two heads."

Xion blinked. "I don't get it. What's so funny about that?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Xion!"

They turned around, startled by the sudden intrusion. At the far side of the room, where they had fallen out of the sand-waterfall, Riku rose, his black coat torn and frayed, either from the rough fall or the earlier explosion. His blindfold remained over his eyes, but she could sense the enraged glare he was giving here.

"Did you think I was finished already?" Riku demanded.

It wasn't like Riku to be so angry.

Felix rose and drew his sword. His eyes were locked upon Riku, prepared to strike if his enemy moved even an inch.

"Xion, this has gone on long enough," Riku said through his teeth. "I have given the chance to turn yourself in again and again. I'm done. Your chance to go back peacefully is gone. Now I will end you here."

"You won't touch her," Felix said in a surprisingly soft voice, but with no lack of conviction.

Riku did not even acknowledge Felix's presence. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Xion took a deep breath before answering, "You killed Demyx. I can never forgive you for that. I am willing to let you live, because you mean so much to Sora and it would devastate him if you were gone when he wakes up. And he will wake up, as I've explained to you already. I'm not going to waste another breath trying to convince you that my plan will work. You don't seem to realize that I have already made my decision. Even at the cost of Sora, I will not surrender my existence. So if you try to take my life from me again, I will not hesitate to take yours."

The young swordsman's expression changed from that of rage to emptiness. There was no more emotion in him. "So be it. Then this next fight will be the last. There will be no more pretenses between us. You will hold nothing back. And neither will I."

Then Riku removed his blindfold.

 

Blados was struck down on his back, staring in awe at the phenomenon before him. He was unable to move, unable to think, unable to breathe.

"What is this thing...?!"

The previously golden beacon of Venus Lighthouse had reacted to his Psy Grenades, absorbing them somehow and morphing into something else.

It was a vortex. A black hole. An unnatural thing. It should not have existed. Only the unholy actions of man could have brought such a thing to be. They had created something that would destroy the entire world.

Blados tried to crawl away from it, but his body was frozen. There was so much noise. The winds were raging around him. He could hear the two remaining Adepts and the red-haired man screaming over the winds. He couldn't understand their words. He didn't care, either. He couldn't think about anything other than the black hole in front of him.

It was growing. It was breathing. Everything near it was pulled inside, never to be seen again. Already it had eaten a large portion of the aerie floor. Felix, the blindfolded kid, and the girl had fallen into the lighthouse already. He had been angry at first. He wanted to kill the girl. He wanted to feel her throat smothered in his grip. But he didn't really care about that anymore. There was something much more important before him.

It seemed like it was alive. Part of him, the animal part, wanted to to jump inside it and see what happened. But his human instincts were refined, and even in his bewitched state he knew such an act would kill him.

Only death awaited within the vortex.

It was beautiful. That such a thing could exist... such a contradiction... The vortex should not be, and yet it was. The universe wanted it gone. He could hear all of reality protesting against it. And yet it continued to be.

He knew what it was about the vortex that fascinated him. It was the power. The vortex dominated everything around it. Existence would be on its terms. Even if it was no sentient, it still had a will.

Psynergy... It wanted to consume Psynergy. All the Psynergy in the world. It had an unspeakable hunger. The Lighthouse floor was soaked in Venus energy, so it only made sense that the stones beneath it would be vaporized. The Vortex wanted more Psynergy than it could have, so it would take form anything that it could.

They were alike in that way. Blados sought the elimination of all Adepts. The Vortex wanted to consume the world's Psynergy. Their means and methods were different, but they had to same goal.

To reset the beautiful world to its natural state.

"I will help you," Blados whispered to it.

And then, ignoring the raging winds and the crumbling floor behind him, Blados rose and drew his long sword – his nodachi.

He would help in the one way he could, the one thing he had always known.

The first one he saw was the large blue-haired man. His back was to Blados, and he was shouting something to his red-haired companions. They must have warned him of Blados, for he turned and drew a large broadsword. He shouted something, but Blados couldn't hear anything.

"Die and let your energy feed the Vortex!" Blados screamed in a berserk rage. He attacked with reckless abandon, battering the man before him with frenzied strikes. The Adept fought back as well as he could. But it wasn't enough.

Blados knew why. The Vortex was draining him. He could see it in the pale face and sluggish movements of his opponent. The man wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

But Blados was denied the satisfaction of a slain enemy. He paid for his previous recklessness when he felt the heavy battleaxe of the red-haired boy enter his back. Blados' heavy armor prevented a fatal blow, but he was done fighting. He could hear bones breaking. He could feel internal bleeding. He collapsed.

Several minutes passed, and Blados lay on his chest and watched, unable to move. The three fighters talked amongst themselves, occasionally glancing at the fallen swordsman at their feet. Perhaps they were deciding whether or not to kill him. Eventually, they came to a decision. They turned away from Blados, leaving him for dead where he was. Only the man with the spiky hair seemed to regret leaving him.

The Adepts vanished from his sight. They had left, most likely to find a way to locate their friends. The minutes passed. The Vortex began to recede, and it eventually faded, leaving only the old Venus beacon behind, and a massive scar across the aerie floor from where the Vortex had consumed the matter below.

Blados waited patiently for his men to arrive and assist him. The Adepts would get away in the meantime. He had accepted it. It didn't matter anyway. The girl could run all she wanted. The people of Tolbi would be easier to control if he held the promise of vengeance over them yet.

He now knew that there were greater goals to aim for than petty vengeance. That Vortex... He would reproduce it. He would study it. There was some great secret hidden in that power.

He would find the answer, and use it to bring painful death to all the Adepts in the world.

 

"I have accepted it."

The voice that spoke was not Riku's. It was far deeper. It was the voice of another.

"X-Xemnas...?!" Xion stammered.

No, that wasn't right. He had the same face, the same voice, and the same build as her former master. But there were slight differences, such as the hair. Whoever Riku had changed into, he was close to Xemnas. His Somebody, most likely.

His appearance didn't matter. The man in front of Xion, who had been Riku just moments earlier, was a threat to her. That's what mattered.

He was levitating above the sand. Some kind of creature was floating behind him, a dark humanoid demon. It was clearly an extension of his own will. Therefore, Xion didn't need to consider it a separate being. But it was obviously dangerous.

The situation had changed completely. Riku was no longer holding his sword. It lay in the sand at his feet. He simply floated before her, his large arms crossed. Did he no longer need a weapon?

"Xion, do you have any idea what's happening?" Felix demanded from across the room.

Of course, she realized. It only made sense that Felix would be confused. Riku had transformed before him.

"I'm not sure, but he's much more powerful now!" Xion replied. "Be very careful!"

"No," Riku said in his new voice, as he snapped his fingers.

Black thorns rose from the sand around them, rising towards the ceiling. They split and crossed paths, weaving together to form an impenetrable wall. A wall separating her from Felix.

"Xion!" Felix screamed. She could see he was slashing in vain at the black thorns, trying to get through to her. It was useless. They grew back faster than he could cut them down.

"This is our battle," Riku said. "We fight it alone."

There was no getting out of this, she realized. She would have to fight Riku alone.

She raised her katana, and stood, waiting for Riku to make the first move. He stared back at her with cold eyes. Emotionless eyes. Xemnas' eyes.

"Is this how you're going to greet Sora when he wakes up?" she jeered. "With the face of his enemy?"

Riku did not answer her. They were no longer communicating as people. Riku was no longer seeing her as a person, but as an obstacle that had to be eliminated.

"Fine, then," she said. "I'll attack first, then!"

She kicked off the ground, leaping towards the hovering Riku with her katana raised. He did not react in any way, simply watching her fly towards him. Not giving herself the luxury of questioning his lack of defense, Xion merely brought the blade down in a fierce slash.

And swung through empty air.

Xion blinked. Momentarily caught off-guard, she almost screwed up the landing. She hit the hard sand awkwardly, maintaining her balance, but being forced to run painfully to avoid breaking her legs.

She turned as soon as she was able. Riku hovered in another place, still watching her with no expression.

He warped out of the way. She had seen such techniques before. Spatial manipulation was Xigbar's specialty. He used his abilities to warp around the battlefield, firing his little arrow-things at his enemy. She had never actually fought Xigbar before, so she wasn't sure how to deal with an enemy that could travel instantly.

But she didn't have time to form a new plan. Riku warped again, appearing right in front of her. Before she could jump away, she felt an iron grip tighten around her chest.

"Agh!"

She was pulled up off the ground by the demonic guardian hovering behind Riku. The pain was agonizing. She tensed her body as much as she could. It was her only defense. The grip was simply too strong to break free.

She could still hear Felix screaming her name. She thought she heard other voices, too. Axel's voice. Garet and Piers. The others must have caught up with them.

She gasped in her distraction and the grip tightened. It tightened every time she inhaled. It was going to suffocate her. It was going to crush her if she breathed too much. Either she would suffocate, or she would exhale too much and be crushed.

Riku said nothing. He simply watched her struggle and die slowly, with emotionless eyes. Xemnas' eyes.

He could end it in a second if he wanted to. But he wasn't. He was torturing her.

"Guh... it... agh... it hurts..."

She didn't know why she was talking. It was a mistake to breathe in any way. But she couldn't think right. Her eyeballs were going to pop out of her head. Her skull was going to explode. Her ribcage had to be powder by now. She couldn't feel her legs anymore.

Everything hurt so much she couldn't think.

"Riku... it... hurts..."

The grip relaxed for a split second.

She pushed out with every ounce of strength she had. The demon's hand was pushed open, and she fell. She landed on the hard sand, and she felt her body turning inside-out. But now wasn't the time. She had to strike.

She swung her katana, not even taking the time to see what she was attacking. The blade sliced right through the demon's fingers. It did not bleed. It did not cry out. It probably wasn't even alive. But she had cut off three of its fingers. It couldn't grab her again.

Xion kicked the ground again, leaping into the air. Riku was right in front of her. She swung...!

Crimson blood spilled. Riku fell back, a diagonal slash across his chest. He gasped painfully, just as she had a moment ago. It was a moment of weakness. A sign of humanity in him. It gave her hope.

Xion attacked again. Riku must have panicked, because he awkwardly shielded himself with his hands. Her katana sliced his arm, drawing out yet more blood. She had turned the tide of the battle. She was winning!

That is, until she felt Riku's boot strike her in the stomach.

She hit the hard sand. Everything hurt now. She had somehow blocked out the pain once she'd broken free of the demon's grip. But now it caught up with her. She couldn't breathe. She was wheezing. Her mind was a red haze of pain.

She was fighting. She didn't have time to be in pain.

Xion forced herself up. Her legs were shaking. She was dizzy. It hurt to breathe. Everything was sore. But she was still alive. She could still fight.

Riku was still floating in the air, his face as empty as before. No – there was a look of regret in his eyes. It was obvious was he was thinking about. The demon's grip had slacked for just a moment.

He had hesitated.

No matter how often he continued to say that he was killing his emotions, it seemed that he couldn't fully do it. The sight of a suffering girl had been too much for him.

The demon held her katana. She was forced to watch as the creature tightened its iron grip and crushed her weapon. It dropped what had been her sword, now only a pile of shattered steel.

She gave her katana a silent farewell, thanking it for its service.

Her hope spot was gone, and now things were bleaker than ever. She was half-crushed and exhausted, with no weapon, no help, and no hope of escape, up against an opponent she could never beat on her own who was charged up with dark energy.

Xion almost laughed, when she realized how hopeless her situation was.

She couldn't dodge when Riku and the demon reappeared in front of her, and the creature grabbed her again just as it had before. She wondered how it could hold her when she had cut off its fingers. Then she remembered it had another hand.

She had forgotten about that.

Xion's body tensed, not from any resistance on her part, but from instinct. It was only natural for the body to tighten up when something was trying to crush it. She was fighting back only by reaction at that point.

Xion didn't want to die. Everything she was doing now was for one goal: to live.

But she just didn't have the will. She just didn't have the energy. She had no weapons, no options. She wouldn't even know how to fight back anymore, even if she had the means to do so.

It was truly hopeless. Riku was just too powerful.

All she could do now was tense up. It was token resistance. It would actually be wiser to simply relax and let the demon crush her quickly. By fighting back, she was only prolonging her own agony.

Some part of her was still defiant. Some little part of her mind was refusing to give in until the very end.

But the rest was just too beaten to care.

"What are you doing? Why are you giving up?"

Xion opened her eyes. Riku had spoken to her. The voice was different – Xemnas' voice – but the words were from Riku himself.

She looked Riku in the eyes – Xemnas' eyes – and he was watching her with a strange look. A look between anger, disappointment, and amusement. And regret.

"Look at me. Do you see how far I've gone? Do you see the person I've become? I could have given up at many points, taken an easier road. But I'm here, still fighting... even in a body that isn't even mine anymore. And you're about to give up?"

She couldn't answer him. Her windpipe was probably too crushed to make sounds anymore. And even if she could... what would she say?

"I see a part of Sora when I look at you. So I refuse to believe that you would give up. Even in the most hopeless situation. Because I know..."

Xion closed her eyes.

"...that Sora never would."

 

An eternity passed.

In a town where the sun never set, there was a clocktower.

And atop this tower, three people were sitting silently and watching the sun that would never set.

A boy with blonde hair.

A man with spiky red hair.

And a girl with black hair.

As they watched the sun that would never set, something started to happen.

The girl flickered. Like film that had been damaged, she started to break down.

It only took a few seconds. The girl flickered and vanished. Her smile never fell. She vanished without a word or action.

The boy and the man continued to watch the sun that would never set.

They never spoke again of the black-haired girl.

An eternity passed, but the black-haired girl was never seen again.

 

Xion opened her eyes.

She didn't know what was happening. Information was filling her brain. Words she had never seen before. Actions. Instructions. New possibilities.

There was an overflow of energy. She felt something awaken inside her. Something was suddenly changed. She gained five years of experience in a single second. So much information was rushing into her brain, she was worried that her head might explode.

She was Riku's eyes – Xemnas' eyes – change. Something had definitely happened. She was different before him. Maybe the look in her eyes was scaring him. Or maybe he could feel the massive energy filling her.

She prepared her attack. The energy release would be massive. She didn't know what the word meant, but she knew what it would do. So she spoke–

"Odyssey!"

 

Felix took a step back.

It wasn't that he had given up. He wouldn't. He refused to. He had tried everything he could think of. Every attack he had. But nothing would break through the pitch-black wall of thorns separating him from Riku and Xion.

Axel, Garet, and Piers were all doing the same. They attacked again and again, but nothing was breaking through. The thorns continued to regenerate. It was hopeless, but the refused to give up.

It wasn't the futility of the situation that ceased their actions.

It was that they could all feel it. Even Axel, who was no Adept.

They could all feel it.

The overwhelming wave of Psynergetic power radiating from the other side of the thorns.

They exchanged amazed glances. None of them had ever felt such a force. Not even Dullahan or the Doom Dragon had had so much Psynergy.

"Is that... Xion?" Garet asked.

Then they were all blown back by the explosion.

 

It was the most powerful Venus Psynergy. Odyssey.

Riku was pierced by massive two swords of energy through both sides. But that wasn't the true attack of Odyssey. All they did was pin the target in place. The real blast was the third sword, which came down from above, crashing over the head of the target with a great explosion.

Xion was the only thing in the room not affected by the blast. The thorns were destroyed, and sand was vaporized, and the headless dragon corpse underneath was obliterated. Even the others, far from the blast, were thrown back to the other side of the room.

Riku of couse, took the full blast of the attack.

Once the flash had faded, and the dust had cleared, the damage could be seen. Riku lay in the center of the room, in the middle of a smoking crater. The demonic guardian was nowhere to be seen.

She walked over to the collapsed Riku. He was still alive. His clothes were shredded, and his body was covered in burns and slash marks. There was a lot of blood.

Xion's feet hit something on the ground. Riku's Soul Eater. She picked the sword up and went to his side. She pointed the blade at Riku's heart.

Riku said nothing. He was still alive. His wounds were even healing. The dark power that had transformed Riku's body was incredible. In half a minute, Riku would be recovered enough to continue the fight.

It went without saying that Xion did not have nearly enough power left for another attack like that Odyssey. The near-limitless Psynergy she had cast the attack from was fading away, going back to wherever it had come from. It was not her energy. So she could not execute such an attack again.

Riku, however, would be back to fighting form in mere moments. Xion would not get another chance.

His eyes were as cold as before. He would finish her once he was back up.

Xion only had one chance.

She raised the Soul Eater...

It was as sunny a day as any on the Destiny Islands.

Two boys were sparring with wooden swords. A girl with red hair was watching from atop a palm tree.

It was their favorite activity. There was no hostility in their fight. Friendly rivalry, or course, but never hostility.

The silver-haired boy usually won. He was just the superior swordsman. But the brown-haired boy had a pure spirit. He never gave up, not until he was beaten completely and absolutely. He often pulled through and won a surprising victory in spite of his awkward attacks.

Today was such a day. The brown-haired boy had managed to knock down his opponent, who had been disarmed just a moment before. The silver-haired boy was now on his back, and the winner stood over him, pointing his wooden sword at the loser's chest.

In spite of the embarrassing loss, the silver-haired boy smiled.

"Okay, Sora. You won this time."

...and pieced Riku's heart.

 

Felix found Xion kneeling before the slain body of Riku.

She was crying.

But that wasn't why Felix gasped and stopped in his tracks. That wasn't why Garet, Piers, and Axel all froze as well. They had no words for the situation.

Riku wasn't the only one who had changed.

Xion realized her friends were there and she rose. She ran into Felix's arms, and cried in his chest. He hesitantly touched her back. He was uncertain. He knew for sure the girl he was holding was Xion. But...

She was different.

He was hesitant to comfort her at first, but her quiet words and sobs reassured him that, despite her appearance, she was still the same Xion he knew. So he held her close to his heart, even after she passed unconscious, from either fatigue or emotion.

Axel wordlessly went to the body of Riku. He removed the Soul Eater and found the Teleport Lapis in the pocket. The Nobody had never felt any connection with Riku, but he knew that the boy had been important to Sora, and so he had been important to Xion. That was why she wept for him.

Strangely, despite the fact that Riku now had Xemnas' face, he looked at peace.

Axel carried Riku's body back to Felix. He handed him the Teleport Lapis, and said that he would bury Riku once they got to the next town. Felix accepted without complaint.

They warped away from the Venus Lighthouse, carrying two children with them. Both had been changed by that day, both in appearance and heart.

 

DiZ sat alone in his study.

The room was not lit. There were many books, but he had never touched a single one. The room was covered in a layer of dust, but he had never bothered to clean it.

He merely say there, staring at the wall and waiting.

As he always did.

He turn not turn to greet Namine as she hesitantly entered, the door meekly opening with a loud creak. It was no secret what he thought of the girl. She was a Nobody, and so, to him, she was less than human.

Still, he acknowledged her presence, if only for his own sake. "Yes?"

"S-something happened..." she said hesitantly.

"And what would that be?" he asked her, the slightest of impatience slipping through his voice. Conversations with her were a chore to him. He had to coax even the vaguest of answers out of her.

It was his fault, he figured. She would be more comfortable speaking to him were she not so afraid of him.

"It's Riku..." she said, emotion in her voice. DiZ would have scoffed at her attempts at feeling were he not interested in her words. "Something happened in that outer world he was sent to... That Weyard place... He... I can't feel his life force anymore..."

"So he's dead, then?" DiZ asked, not allowing his brief surprise to touch his voice. He hadn't expected Riku to be beaten.

Namine's lip trembled. If DiZ didn't know any better, he'd say she was trying not to cry. "I told him not to go there. I told him that... thing... The one eye... I told him he couldn't fight it... I... He was..." She trailed off into incoherent sobs.

DiZ resisted the urge to go smack the girl. Her facade of emotion sickened him. "Very well. Thank you, Namine. You may go." He didn't really appreciate her, but he was glad to know.

She stared at him in surprise for a moment, looking like she wanted to say something. Then she turned and closed the door just as meekly as she had opened it.

The crimson figure sat alone, and ruminated on the recent turn of events. So Riku had gotten himself killed... What a shame. It meant the end of this plan. Without a man on the outside to manipulate events, there was no point in trying to awaken Sora anymore. That meant that there was no point in him staying at the mansion anymore.

Other plans for other days. Namine could deal with the rest.

DiZ rose and departed from the study, never to return.


	26. The Becoming

The sun would soon be setting in Contigo.

She sat alone on the steps before her house. She was waiting.

They would be arriving soon.

She knew, because she saw it in a vision. Her powers of forbearance had long ago been fine-tuned by many years of training. She saw most things in advance, sometimes years before they actually happened.

It was both a blessing and a curse.

Life had, in many ways, become an act. She went to the places she saw, said the things that needed said, and did what needed done. It was like an actor playing out a scene on stage. All of her motions were planned ahead of time. Every reaction she saw to her actions was known to her in advance.

She lived her life without surprise.

So she knew what to expect when Felix and his companions arrived suddenly with a flash of light, carrying two collapsed figures. Garet and Piers, she had met before. She had never spoken to the man with the red hair, but she already knew his name and much of his history. She also knew who the two children they carried were.

One of them was dead. She knew this already.

More importantly, she knew who the raven-haired girl in Felix's arms was. Her name was Xion. She had been traveling with Felix for almost a year now.

But when she saw Xion, Hama was genuinely surprised for the first time in years.

The girl in Felix's arms was... different. She had changed. She was still the same person, of course. But when Hama saw her, she was physically different from what the prophet had foreseen.

Suddenly, everything she had anticipated was thrown into doubt. Somehow, Xion had been changed... the timeline of events Hama had been expecting was no longer absolute, if such a thing could be. If something could happen that she had not been expecting, then what did that mean for the future she had been awaiting...?

Hama kept her stoic mask up as she led them into her house, but inside, she trembled with the fear of the unknown for the first time.

 

The warm and gentle rays of the afternoon sun enveloped her, and she awoke slowly and peacefully.

It had been a long time since she had been able to awaken in the calm and natural way. So often was she troubled by nightmares and fears that she was now used to waking suddenly, with a hammering heart, shaking hands, and a sweating brow.

But today, she awoke without fear or anxiety. It was a welcome relief.

She heard some voices from somewhere – likely the other side of the room. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but the voices themselves were familiar enough that she could tell they belonged to her friends.

After a while, the voices faded, and comforting silence returned to the room. She could feel she was alone, save for one person. The presence of her friend at her bedside.

Deciding she was lucid enough, Xion opened her eyes. Felix was there, in a chair beside her, watching her wake.

"Good morning," she said with a smile.

Felix watched her hesitantly, as though he wasn't sure it was her. "...Xion," he said after a moment, not a question, but not quite a statement either.

"Last I checked," she replied. "Where are we? The last I remember–"

Venus Lighthouse. Demyx. Riku.

She pushed the bad thoughts out of her mind. She was too relaxed, too at peace, to be thinking about those things now.

"What is this place?" she asked instead.

Felix hesitated before answering. "We're in Contigo. This is Hama's house. She's Ivan's sister."

"Ivan's sister...? Oh yeah, I think I remember him talking about her once," Xion noticed the apprehension in Felix's eyes. "What's the matter?"

He didn't answer for a while. He simply left her hanging, sitting beside her in silence. His eyes refused to linger on her, as though he was afraid of her.

"How do you feel, Xion?" he asked her at last.

She blinked. What an odd thing for Felix to ask. "I feel... fine. I'm not injured, if that's what you're concerned about."

But as she spoke, she realized she hadn't really thought about it. Emotionally, she was fine for the moment. The deaths... she was refusing to think about them for now, but once she did, she would undoubtedly be upset. Physically, well... the battle had been exhausting but she had been through worse. Her body wasn't injured, as she'd just told Felix, and everything was just the way she...

No it wasn't.

She hadn't noticed it because she hadn't moved yet. But the moment her thoughts came to her body, she realized that something was off. Things were different. She felt heavier. Her limbs weren't her own. She had changed somehow.

Don't panic.

"On second thought..." she turned to Felix. "Uh... is there something wrong with me?"

Felix's cheeks burned red, something she had never seen before. "Well... I don't really know what to say. Not 'wrong', I think. Err..." Felix was looking determinately at the floor, blushing furiously.

Xion was starting to panic now. She had never seen Felix blush before. Something was making him seriously uncomfortable. "Felix, what happened to me?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know what to say. Uh... perhaps it's best if you see yourself."

Xion sat up, and was immediately struck by a wave of nausea. She felt sick to the stomach. "Ugh... is there there a mirror somewhere?"

"Hama brought one in the other room. She probably knew you would need one. She predicts things."

"Okay," Xion muttered. "Can you show me to it? I actually don't feel well at all, now that I've moved a bit."

Felix blushed again, and took her hand. "Sure... just follow me."

She rose hesitantly, relying on Felix both for support and guidance. She really did feel sick. Her movements were lethargic and slow. Her center of balance was thrown off. Everything around her felt smaller. Even Felix looked a bit shorter.

The Venus Adept led her out of the small bedroom and into what looked like a living room. Xion wasn't sure, because everything was blurry and saturated. She found it was easier to just close her eyes and let Felix guide her.

She was starving. Had she ever been this hungry in her life? Strange, that one could be so hungry, yet sick to the stomach at the same time. She really did feel like crap. How ironic; she'd felt so nice when she had first woke up.

They came to a stop. "It's here," she heard Felix say. She let herself have a moment to steady herself. Then she opened her eyes.

And she very nearly fainted right there.

The girl in her reflection wasn't her. Xion was a two year-old Replica, who had the body of a roughly fifteen year-old girl. The girl she was looking at was certainly not fifteen. She was a grown woman.

Xion hesitantly lifted her arm. The woman in her reflection moved the same. She blinked. The reflection blinked.

It was her, all right. The black hair was much longer now, flowing past her shoulders. The clothes she had bought months ago in Loho were tight now, barely fitting on the much fuller, more shapely body. Her hips were wider, and her waist slimmer. The biggest change of course, was her chest...

No wonder Felix had been blushing.

"I... I don't understand," she said. "I'm... older?"

"It would seem so," Felix replied, standing behind her, but looking elsewhere.

"But... why?" She reached up and ran her fingers down her cheek. It was still her body, just... more mature.

"That's what we've been trying to figure out," Felix said. "Do you remember anything?"

"I don't think I would forget something like this," she laughed, in spite of the situation. "This is so... weird..."

Felix grunted in reply.

Xion turned to examine herself in further detail. She was certain of it. This was definitely her, just older. Everything felt familiar, yet different.

"You don't think..." her eyes lit up in excitement. "Is this the result of gathering the Essences? Am I free from Sora?"

"Why would that be so when you only have two of the four Essences?" Felix countered. "And why would just a thing cause you to grow suddenly older? I agree that it is likely a result of you obtaining the Venus Essence, but I don't think you're done yet."

"Hmm, good point," Xion stroked her chin, which she realized was a bit pointier than before. "Did this happen while I was passed out?"

Felix shook his head. "You were like this after the battle with Riku. There was a huge explosion of energy, and the barrier disintegrated. We ran to you, and you were like this."

"An explosion of energy...?"

Of course. It all came rushing back to her.

She'd needed more power than she had to defeat Riku. So she had drawn power from... something. Or more accurately, something had shown her how to use the power she already had, and had given her a temporary boost in Psynergy to use it with.

Five years of experience.

That was what she had needed to utilize the potential Venus Psynergies. With no prior training in the craft, she had needed to learn from the ground up. Normally it would have taken her five years of daily, grueling training to become skilled enough to cast Odyssey. So the something that had helped her had given her that five years of training in the space of a single second.

But she could not gain something without giving something up. So in exchange for five years of experience, she had given up five years of her life.

"Five years..." she said quietly.

"I'm sorry?" Felix asked.

"I needed five years of experience to be strong enough to beat Riku," Xion explained to Felix. "The Wise One... he gave me the five years I needed."

Felix's mouth tightened to a thin line. "So he's the one responsible. Figures he would do something cruel like this."

"I would have died otherwise," Xion told him. "I cheated the laws of reality to attain something I wasn't ready for. Without Odyssey, I could never have beaten-"

She closed her eyes. Any chance of holding on to a good mood was gone at this point. The conversation had become too morose. She couldn't hold back the thoughts anymore.

Demyx. Riku.

"Felix, where is Riku?"

 

He showed her to the grave.

There was nothing special about it. It was an ordinary grave, marked only by a wooden cross. There were a few others beside it. It was different from then only in that the soil was freshly disturbed, where the others had long since been covered in grass.

Just an ordinary, nameless grave.

But to Xion, it was something far more. It signified the point where she could no longer turn back.

From the moment she had first fled to Weyard, there had always been the possibility of going back to Riku, and letting him end her. Surrendering to Sora. Accepting her fate. And there had been times when she had even considered doing that.

But now, Riku was dead. Slain by her own hand. And her path was fixed. She had no other options now but to finish what she had started. To gather the final two Essences, attain her independent existence, and let Sora wake.

She was no longer a part of Sora now, even if her very form was dependent on his memories. She had killed his best friend. When he awoke, he could not possibly accept her. She had committed an unforgivable crime in her efforts to have what she wanted. She had taken away Sora's closest friend. When Sora finally did wake, they would likely be enemies.

Xion did not regret what she did. But she did regret that it had needed to be that way. Had things been different, Demyx and Riku would not have needed to die. That was what she regretted.

She cried, and Felix comforted her. And in that moment, she realized something.

Her life had changed forever, in more ways than one.

 

A wind stirred quietly in this hills of Contigo. Two figures stood before a bare grave below. One figure watched from above, silent and unwavering.

A man, garbed in a black coat, the hood drawn.

 

Xion felt ill when she and Felix returned to Hama's house. The others were waiting for them. Garet, Piers, Axel. And Hama herself.

The purple-haired woman stepped forward, handing Xion a bundle of folded clothes. "I bought these for you while I was in town, dear. I suspect you feel rather uncomfortable in your old clothes, so I got ones to fit your new size."

Xion returned her warm smile. "Thank you. I'll go get changed now, if that's okay. I'm not feeling well, so I'd like to lie down after that."

"Of course, please rest as long as you need." Hama and Xion disappeared into the house, leaving the men outside.

They exchanged awkward glances.

Garet cleared his thoat. "So, uh..."

"Don't," Felix warned him with a glare. "We can all see it. Just don't say anything about it, the poor girl has enough going on right now without your perverted jokes."

Garet sighed, and rolled his eyes. "I was just going to ask if she remembers how it happened."

Felix repeated to Garet and the others what Xion had told him.

"...in conclusion, she gained five years of combat experience in exchange for five years of her life," Felix said. "But she still isn't used to having a mature body, so give her some space and I swear, Garet... do not try to take advantage of her."

"Why are you singling me out?" Garet demanded.

"Because I know Piers is a gentleman, and Axel knows I'll kill him if he touches her. And I know you used to try to spy on the girls bathing back on the ship."

Garet rolled his eyes again. "Can't prove anything."

"So that blast of energy that knocked us back was Xion casting Odyssey..." Piers said, quickly changing the subject. "Does this mean she is capable of casting all Venus Psynergies?"

"I don't think so," Felix replied. "She doesn't have the reserve. You can gauge someone's Psynergy level at a single glance, right? Then you can see that she doesn't have anywhere near the level of energy we do. She has about as much as Garet and I had when the Elemental Stars were first taken. She has the knowledge required to cast the spells, but not the power."

"Then how was she able to cast Odyssey back at the Lighthouse?" Piers asked.

Felix's eyes grew dark. "The Wise One supplied her with Psynergy."

Garet scoffed. "That floating rock?"

Felix nodded. "He's the one who did it to her. He took five years of her life from her. He could have simply stopped Riku himself, but instead he chose the more sadistic way, as usual."

"The Wise One once said he cannot directly interfere in the affairs of mortals," Piers said. "And he does not. But what he can do it is give one side the support to tip the balance in his favor."

"But to rob the girl of half a decade of her life?" Felix asked. "It is unnecessarily cruel. That is his way, to deal in half-truths and unjust penalties."

Piers nodded. "That, I agree with you on."

"Is she going to be alright?" Garet asked Felix.

The Venus Adept didn't know what to say.

 

Several hours later, the sun was beginning to set, and Felix and Piers sat atop a hill overlooking the small town. From where they were, Hama's house could be clearly seen, as could the massive crater beside the town. The faint violet glow of Jupiter Lighthouse shone in the distance.

"There are strange forces at work here," Piers said somberly.

"I know," Felix replied. "I have felt it too. A uneasy tension in the air."

"Things are only going to get worse..."

"Let's hope that's not the case."

Piers looked over at his friend. Felix's brown eyes were locked on Hama's small house. Visible from their position, the orange glow of candlelight illuminated the room from where Xion and Hama no doubt were talking. Felix's lips were drawn in a tight line, and he had bags under his eyes.

"You haven't been resting," Piers observed.

"What else is new?" Felix chuckled in self-deprecating humor.

"How long has it been since we've sat like this and talked?" Piers asked. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

"I already complained about this to Xion."

"You can complain to me, too. I've been alive a lot longer than you, so I've heard just about everything."

Felix's knuckles tightly clenched the hilt of his sword. He was hesitating. Piers knew it took a lot to get Felix to open up, even to him. But pushing Felix any further would only send him back into his shell. If he really didn't want to talk, then there was no way to force him.

"Back at Venus Lighthouse..." Felix began quietly. "I didn't do... anything. I was completely useless. I don't know what I'm doing at this point. Xion doesn't need me anymore."

"You know that's not true."

"Even in Tolbi, all I did was make things worse. I'm supposed to be the leader, and all I did was fuck things up. All I managed to do was get myself captured, lose the Teleport Lapis, and be a burden on everyone else. If I hadn't lost the lapis, then Riku wouldn't have had a bargaining chip over us, Xion wouldn't have had to fight him, and she wouldn't have lost five years of her life."

"You made the best call you could have in that situation. You can't blame yourself for Riku's actions. He would have gone after her whether you took his bait or not," Piers placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Think about this. Do you really think Xion is going to blame you for what happened? She didn't after the battle in Tolbi, so I'm sure she won't now."

Felix closed his eyes, nodding silently. Piers doubted his words were truly comforting his friend. When Felix grew morose, only time and his own thoughts were enough to bring him out of it.

"We have the Teleport Lapis back, so as soon as Xion had recovered and everyone has rested we can go to the final two lighthouses. This quest will be over before you know it, and we can focus on Alex and this Lunos thing."

"Lunos..." Felix's eyes shot open. He stood up suddenly.

"What is it?" Piers exclaimed.

"Come with me. There's something I want to check out."

 

"Thank you," Xion said to Hama, who left the room with a slight bow.

Xion sat in the bed she had woken up in, dressed in new clothes Hama had brought her. A certain article of women's clothing she hadn't needed before was necessary now, and she'd needed Hama's help to put it on.

Xion sighed. She was hiding in the small house. She knew it, but she didn't want to admit it. Her new body was too... different. She didn't look forward to her companions' reactions.

"So if I had the body of a fifteen year old, and I gained five years, that would make me..." Twenty. About the same age as Felix. For some reason, the thought made her blush.

She sighed again and collapsed on the bed. What exactly did this mean? Would the others treat her differently, now? No, or course not. She knew them well enough to realize that they would act as though absolutely nothing was different for her own sake, even as their eyes roamed over the curves of her body...

Think about something else, she commanded herself.

A faint violet glow was starting to grow visible with the darkening horizon. The beacon of Jupiter Lighthouse. They had come straight to it, then. That meant they could go as soon as...

As soon as she was ready.

Xion stood up suddenly. "Why wait?" she asked aloud. "I'm ready now. No need to wait on my account!"

The thought of the others hanging around and waiting on her... it made her strangely angry. She didn't need time to be alone and adjust to this! Her entire life was defined by uncertainty!

She found her way outside. The sun was setting fast. The others were gone, with only Axel waiting outside with his arms crossed.

"Xion!" he got up when he saw her there. "Are you alright?"

"You don't need to fawn over me Axel, I'm fine," she said, a bit sharper than she meant to. Axel gave no visible reaction, but she knew her words must have hurt. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to snap."

Axel waved it off. "Pay it no mind."

Xion reconsidered. Maybe Axel hadn't been affected by her insult at all.

"Where are the others?" Xion asked.

"Felix and Piers left a while ago," Axel told her. "Garet disappeared a bit after them. Hama just left a few minutes ago. I stayed behind in case you needed something."

"Thank you," she said. "But I don't need anything. I'm fine, and I'm ready to get going to the next lighthouse. Let's go tell the others."

"You're ready right now?" Axel raised an eyebrow. "It's almost dark out. I doubt Felix will want to go now."

Xion scowled. "Fine. Then we'll go tomorrow morning. I need a new weapon anyway. My katana broke during the fight."

"Well..." Axel hesitated.

She turned back to him. "What?"

"I picked it up," he said simply. "You can decide what to do with it. Black bag, under the bed."

Xion blinked, processing Axel's strange words, before turning and disappearing in the house. She returned to the bedroom and checked under the bed. Sure enough, there was a black bag waiting for her. She pulled it out and opened it.

Xion gasped.

Riku's sword, the Soul Eater.

Xion hesitantly touched the crimson blade. She could sense its power. It had lost a great deal of its previous energy with the death of its master, but it was still a mastercraft weapon, forged with magic energies. Just like Felix's Sol Blade, Axel's chakrams, and every keyblade. Magic weapons never broke, dulled, or blemished. They were attuned to their user, and could usually be summoned and sent away at will. Aside from her long-absent keyblade, Xion couldn't ask for a better weapon to fight with.

But could she just take the sword of someone she had slain?

Xion wrapped her fingers around the handle and lifted the blade. It was as light as a feather, another feature of magic weapons. She swung it around a few times as practice. The sword felt natural in her hands, like it was meant to be.

"What does it matter at this point?" she wondered aloud. "I already killed Sora's best friend. I might as well rob the guy, too."

Still, she remembered that the blade she was holding had been the one that had killed Demyx. And then she had used it in turn to kill Riku himself. The blade was awash in blood.

And she sensed it was not finished yet.

 

Felix and Piers, after activating the Teleport Lapis while standing on the ornate circle in the center of the town, found themselves back in the Anemos Inner Sanctum.

"I remember this place," Piers said.

"A lot of happy memories here," Felix replied, his voice thick with sarcasm.

The two traveled down the stone corridors, the puzzles and traps having already been dealt with a year ago.

"To be honest, I never thought I would have to come back to this place," Felix muttered. "But after everything Kraden said to us, I feel there might be some clue here. We weren't looking for clues last time we came here, so who knows what we missed?"

"Regarding Lunos?" Piers asked. "What do you think we're looking for?"

"At best, knowledge on potential weaknesses," Felix said. "But I'm not an optimist. I'm just hoping to find any kind of new piece of information. We can bring Kraden back later to translate."

"Weaknesses? Do you think we'll have to fight this Lunos guy?"

"Let's hope not," Felix replied grimly. "Kraden said that Dullahan was but a mere shade of what Lunos was. And we all remember what a pushover Dullahan was..."

"At the peak of our abilities, it still took all eight of us to put him down," Piers said with a nod. "Even the Doom Dragon we fought at Mars Lighthouse was weaker than that spirit."

"So if a fight is avoidable, then let's avoid it. But if it isn't, I want to know what this Lunos is weak against. Everything has a weakness."

"Weaknesses... what exactly is this Lunos?"

"From what Kraden and I have pieces together, he was the emperor of the Anemos in the ancient days. He was one of the few alchemists who actually created a perfect technique of immortality, but he was still killed at the end of the war. He is, if he still exists at all, a spirit with the power to manipulate chance and odds. When we fought Luxord at Mercury Lighthouse, he was possessed by some kind of being. That may have been Lunos."

They arrived at the final chamber, where the fight with Dullahan had taken place. The large chamber was in a deplorable state, covered in scorch marks, broken walls, and other scars of battle.

"As I said already, I'm not an optimist," Felix said. "So I wouldn't bet money on us surviving a second encounter with the guardian of this chamber. Especially now that we lost our healer." Felix's eyes grew distant for a moment. "Let's just hope Lunos is another legend."

"Do you see anything?" Piers asked Felix.

"Nothing," the Venus Adept replied. "Just reminders that we almost died here."

Piers wandered over to the far wall, where Dullahan had fallen. No sign of the great spirit remained, except for a chunk of the wall that was missing where he had fallen. "We didn't really have time to examine this place the last time. The architecture of this wall is amazing."

Felix kicked a rock at his feet. "The ancients were known for decadence."

"Felix!" Piers exclaimed. "There's a keyhole here!"

"You're kidding!" Felix ran to where Piers was standing, and sure enough, the abstract carvings in the walls flowed into the center, where there was a large keyhole. "So we really did find something down here! What are the odds?"

"I wouldn't be very interesting if we came all the way down here only to find nothing," Piers pointed out.

"I suppose you're right," Felix ran his fingers over the keyhole. "I wonder what would happen if we unlocked this."

"We lack a key, though."

"Maybe we could force it open with something..." Felix looked around, but there was nothing around them but rubble.

"We could use Psynergy to blast down the wall," Piers suggested.

"Not this wall," Felix said, taking a step back. "It's reinforced to all hell. The ancients probably expected psynergetic attacks. I doubt I could break through it. And even if I could, who knows what traps that would trigger?"

"Good point," Piers said.

"I wonder..." Felix had a strange idea. He unsheathed his Sol Blade and slid the blade into the keyhole. It fit perfectly.

"You're kidding me."

Felix twisted the blade to the side, and the lock was opened with a light click. He withdrew the blade and stepped away, as Piers did the same.

The wall before them opened with a heavy sliding sound. It split down the middle, opening up like a door to reveal an entirely new chamber on the other side.

"Some entity is definitely screwing with us if that actually worked," Felix muttered.

"Lunos?"

"Perhaps. Let's be careful."

They stepped inside the chamber, with was a long and dim hallway. Running along the path on each side were marble statues, weathered away by many years into an indistinguishable shape. It was difficult to make out anything in the distance, due to the poor lighting.

"Felix!" Piers exclaimed suddenly.

Felix, who was in the lead, stopped suddenly, and jumped back when he realized what had alerted Piers. In the spot where Felix had been about to step, the floor descended a single step, and the tiles changed to a silver color. Had he continued walking unaware, he could have fallen and triggered a trap.

"Thanks," Felix said. He went to one of the marble statues and picked up a piece of rubble fallen nearby. "Be ready to move if something happens."

Felix tossed the rock down the step, which rolled across the silver tiles and vanished in the darkness. Nothing else happened.

"I guess it's safe to walk on," Felix said. He cautiously stepped down onto the silver tiles...

And the entire chamber was filled with light.

"Whoa!"

Several hundred, or possibly thousand torches were lit at once, which hung from a massive dome-shaped ceiling. The walls spiraled up, at least fifty feet in the air. But the high ceiling wasn't what startled the Adepts.

A huge statue of pure marble, which was undamaged unlike the others, glared down at them. A man, wearing heavy armor, and resting upon a heavy sword, with hair that flowed down to his ankles. His face was thin, and he had no eyebrows.

For a moment, it looked like the statue was about to move and attack them.

"Hell, that's a big statue," Felix muttered.

"I'm guess that's Lunos," Piers said.

"Only a god-emperor would have a statue like that built."

"He looks like a cheery fellow."

The statue's scowl seemed to grow angrier.

"Let's get out of here," Felix offered. "I can't think with that thing glaring at me."

"First," Piers said, pointing. "Take a look at that."

Felix followed Piers' finger to the center of the chamber, where just in front of the statue, was a teleport circle.

 

Xion was in Hama's bedroom, staring out at the Jupiter Lighthouse in the distance, when a flash of light caught her attention. Just outside, an exhausted-looking Sheba was stumbling into Axel's arms.

Xion raced outside to find Axel carefully laying Sheba on the ground. The girl was wounded in a few places, but her life didn't seem to be in any danger.

"Sheba!" Xion exclaimed, running to her.

"Xion... what the... when did you get b-?" The young Jupiter Adept rubbed her eyes, like she wasn't sure what she was seeing.

"I... never mind that!" Xion interrupted her. "Sheba, what happened? What are you doing here?"

Sheba sat up suddenly. "That's right! I have to find Felix! There was a... a thing back in Kalay! Jenna went crazy and freed Alex!"

Xion and Axel exchanged confused glances, just before Sheba collapsed.

Unseen by any of them, a figure in a hooded black cloak was watching everything.


	27. Getting Smaller

Felix was rather surprised to find Xion and Axel waiting at the front door of Hama's house when they finally returned from the ruins. The sun had long since set, but the ample moonlight illuminated the hill with a silvery glow. Jupiter Lighthouse glowed violet in the distance.

"What is it?" Felix asked as they drew near. He could see the perturbation in Xion's eyes, and Axel glanced off at the house from time to time as though waiting for something.

"Sheba appeared," Xion said simply.

"Sheba?" Felix blinked, surprised. If Sheba had come, then something must have happened back in Kalay...

"Is she all right?" Piers asked from Felix's side.

Xion nodded. "She's fine, I think. She passed out when she appeared, but Hama said she was just drained of Psynergy and that she wasn't injured in any way."

"Drained of Psynergy?" Felix repeated. "What happened? Are Jenna and Isaac okay? Did Hama know this was going to happen? What did she say exactly?"

Xion made a visible effort not to sigh in frustration at Felix's rapid-fire questioning. For a moment, she looked very tired, and Felix worried for her. His concerns were not alleviated when Xion looked up and answered him.

"She just said Alex escaped."

Axel gave Xion a look, raising an eyebrow as though she'd said something strange. But it lasted only a moment, and Felix was too struck by the news to really notice.

"Alex... How...?"

Xion shrugged. "I don't know. All she said was that Alex has escaped, and then she collapsed."

"Damn," Felix swore under his breath. "I knew it was a mistake to just leave him there. We should have annihilated every part of him, blasted at him until nothing was left... Isaac's solution only made the problem worse."

Piers strode past him and entered the house. Axel watched him go with an impassive stare. Then he grinned suddenly and without warning, burst into laughter.

"Hahaha. What a bunch of mopey people. I'm gonna go for a walk."

He walked away into the moonlit town, leaving behind a baffled Felix and Xion.

"The hell was that about?" Felix demanded after a moment. He turned to Xion, but she only shrugged.

Something was clearly bothering her. Despite having just rested for most of the day, she had circles under her eyes. Her gaze was lingering on the ground, as though she didn't want to look at Felix.

He was concerned, but he sensed now wasn't the time to try to console her. A cold breeze blew through, causing Felix to shiver. Xion didn't even seem to notice.

"Do you want to go inside? It's kind of cold out here."

Xion shrugged.

"That's not really an answer. You're not giving me a lot to work with."

She sighed. "I'm sorry. You're right, let's go inside."

He wanted desperately to ask Xion what was bothering her. He had a few ideas, but he doubted such things would really bother her. The only thing Xion cared enough about to make her so depressed was...

The people she loved.

Axel's reaction had certainly been strange. There was that. But there was also the recent deaths of Riku and Demyx. She had plenty to be upset about.

But there was something else in her distant gaze what nagged at him...

She would tell him when she was ready. That's what he told himself as he took her hand and they stepped inside.

 

Sheba was already awake when Felix got there.

She sat upright in the bed, rubbing her temples and wincing. Garet and Piers were also in the room, but giving her space. Hama was strangely absent.

"Ah, Felix," Sheba said softly as he entered. "Good, everybody's here."

"We're missing Axel," he pointed out.

"Shhh!" Sheba hissed, flinching in pain as he spoke. "I have the worst headache right now. I feel like something is trying to crawl out of my skull. Keep your damn voice down."

"Sorry," he said much more quietly.

"I don't care about Axel," Sheba said. "You guys can fill him in later if you want. Let's just get this started. I want to get this done with."

Sheba was being uncharacteristically short and ill-tempered. Her headache must really have been bad. Still, Felix didn't like seeing her in such a bad mood.

"Sheba is going to tell us what happened," Piers explained.

"Xion told me that you said Alex escaped," Felix said to her.

"Yup," Sheba muttered. "He marched right out of the palace like he owned the place. We tried to stop him, of course. But he knocked us aside like we were mosquitoes trying to bite his skin. He was singing. It was completely ridiculous, like a scene out of some comedy play."

"Weird," Garet muttered.

"But how did he get out of his cell?" Felix asked.

Sheba sighed. "Alright, this is going to be a long story. Everybody get seats."

They did so.

"This goes back several months, since the immigration from Vale to Kalay," Sheba explained. "The story is also a bit far-fetched, but I promise every word of it is true, so bear with me, okay? And it mostly has to do with Jenna."

Felix narrowed his eyes.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

Sheba hesitated. "I'm not sure how to answer that. Physically, yes. She's not hurt or anything. But as for her mental and emotional health... Well, I have to tell you what's been happening first in order for you to understand."

Felix was gripping the edge of his seat so hard it could be heard cracking.

"This next part is kinda crazy, so bear with me, alright?"

Everyone nodded. Sheba took a deep breath before continuing.

"Jenna was pregnant."

Xion was the only one who didn't gasp.

Garet stepped up next to Sheba, with mouth hanging open. "Like, with a baby?"

Sheba gave him one of those looks. "No, with a tentacle monster. C'mon, Garet."

The Mars Adept took a step back, muttering an awkward apology.

"She couldn't have been very far along," Piers said. "We were just with her several days ago, and I for one saw no sign of pregnancy."

Sheba shook her head. "She wasn't. Here's where it gets weird, guys. She was pregnant several months ago. Like before she even left Vale. And we all... we all knew about it."

A tense silence filled the room. Then three voices broke it at once.

"What?!"

"Shhh!" Sheba closed her eyes in pain. "No shouting! My head will explode if you keep raising your voices."

The boys muttered apologies.

"Everyone knew about it," Sheba explained. "It was the whole reason Jenna and Isaac were getting married. Well, maybe not the whole reason... They do love each other, I guess. But the baby was the catalyst or whatever. But yeah, everyone knew about it. All of us, the parents, Kraden, Hama... It was no secret."

"I must have been really out of the loop then, because I don't remember any of this," Garet said, bewildered.

Sheba turned to Garet. "You and Isaac spent a whole day in the Vale camps building a crib out of wood. You complained the whole time, asking Isaac why he didn't just use Psynergy, and he gave you a speech about doing things from the heart. You made fun of him, but you were still having fun."

Garet looked like someone had just told him the sky was green.

"Try to remember, everyone," Sheba said. "If you try hard enough, you'll get this feeling of deja vu."

"I do seem to recall a sort of feeling during the time I spent on the seas, waiting for the wedding," Piers said quietly. "Like I was very proud of Isaac and Jenna, and not just for their marriage. But I remember nothing about a child."

"You're right," Felix muttered. "I can feel... something. I can't explain it, but the more I think about that time period, the more uncomfortable I feel about it. Like there was something very important I had forgotten."

"So... someone messed up our memories, then?" Garet asked.

Sheba shook her head. "Not at all. It's more complicated than that. There's more I have to explain first. It starts when Jenna and Isaac and all the people from Vale were traveling to Kalay. This was while Felix and Xion were running around, and Garet was on his way to Imil to bitch Mia out."

They all nodded; Garet a bit regretfully.

"Jenna thought that Felix was dead at this time, so she was all bummed out. Isaac was busy with taking care of the Valeans, so Jenna was feeling really lonely. While on the road, Jenna met this old woman named Jasmine. They talked, and this Jasmine woman said a bunch of creepy stuff she shouldn't have known. This was because Jasmine wasn't real. Jenna was imagining her."

Garet was scratching his head at this point.

"You were right, Sheba," Piers said with a wry chuckle. "This story is rather far-fetched."

"Why in the world would Jenna be having hallucinations?" Garet asked.

Sheba sighed "Garet, do you remember when you and Isaac met the Wise One in Sol Sanctum?"

"I don't think I could forget it if I tried."

"Do you remember a moment when the Wise One asked Isaac to take out the Mars Star, and Isaac couldn't say no? And the Star glowed for a moment?"

Garet nodded hesitantly.

"What the Wise One was doing was extracting a portion of the power of the Mars Star and giving it to Isaac. That way, when all the Lighthouses were lit and Alex tried to absorb their combined energy on top of of Mt. Aleph, he would be missing some of the Mars energy. It worked, and Alex didn't get the full power he was hoping for. Alex's goal became getting to Isaac and taking back that missing portion."

"Okay..." Garet said quietly.

"But Isaac no longer had the Mars Energy!" Sheba said, sitting up excitedly. "He transferred it to Jenna when he got her pregnant. That was causing the hallucinations. Jenna was already a Mars Adept, and the extra energy was overloading her system."

"I suppose that makes sense..." Piers muttered.

"When Alex attacked Kalay, he initially went after Isaac. It was only when he realized Jenna was pregnant that he went after her. Alex took the Mars energy back by... well... eating the unborn child right out of Jenna's womb."

Garet and Piers were both agape, their faces having expressions of disbelief and disgust. Felix looked like he wanted to break something.

"You have to telling the truth," Piers said. "I know you're not disturbed enough to make something like that up."

"What kind of sick bastard would?!" Garet said through his teeth.

"When Alex was finished, the baby ceased to be," Sheba continued. "I'm not exactly sure why, but the baby was infused with elemental energy, and its death somehow wrote it out of existence, rewriting the fabric of reality as though it had never existed at all. None of us remembered the baby, because to us, it had never existed in the first place."

"Then how do you remember it now?" Felix asked quietly.

"I'll get to that," Sheba said. "One step at a time. Now, Alex had all four of the energies he'd been after. I don't know what he planned to do next, but I do know one thing: somehow, Alex remembered the baby even after it had been wiped from reality. My only guess is that at this point, Alex has ceased to be a human being after absorbing so much pure energy. He must have existed on the same level of reality as the baby had or something... I honestly don't know."

Xion had been silent the entire time. She was tempted to break that silence, and tell them that she had remembered Jenna's baby. That she understood what had happened to it. Because it had suffered the same fate she would have if she had stayed with Organization XIII...

Erasure. The complete obliteration of one's existence, where they no longer existed, even in memories. She had seen herself, mutated to have Sora's face, attacking Roxas atop the clock tower. She had been having nightmares about it since Kalay. She very nearly spoke up and told them.

But she said nothing.

"Now we defeated Alex and locked him up after that," Sheba continued. "Or so we thought. It turns out that when we blew him up into little pieces and locked them up separately, we missed one. A tiny sliver of Alex's body that managed to crawl away like a worm when we weren't looking."

Piers swore under his breath, a rarity for the reserved man.

"But we were so thorough!" Garet exclaimed.

"It was no fault of ours," Sheba said. "It was a self-defense mechanism. Alex's backup plan, in case anybody tried to do exactly what we had done. His entire consciousness went to that tiny piece, and it crawled away before we even started boxing the chunks of him away."

"So what did the Alex-worm do?" Garet asked.

"It bode its time," Sheba explained. "It was just as clever as Alex would be. It waited, watching us. Once you guys, Felix in particular, were gone, it made its move."

Sheba took another deep breath. Clearly the next part was another uncomfortable one. Felix braced himself.

"Once Jenna was asleep, it crawled inside of her," Sheba said with a grimace. "There was still some connection between them, and Alex planned to exploit that. I don't know the details, but Jenna's behavior started to get erratic. She started having mood swings, and she would spend a lot of time alone. Isaac was worried she was sick, and I was tempted to come and find you guys. Isaac talked me out of it. Then, yesterday night, Jenna snuck out to the cell, attacked the guards, and opened all of Alex's boxes. Alex was over half-reformed when we realized what was going on. We tried to stop her, but she fought us off. Isaac couldn't bring himself to hurt her, and he wouldn't let me. Once the rest of his body was repaired, the worm slid out of Jenna's ear and joined the main body. She collapsed right there."

Sheba told the rest of her story quickly, clearly eager to finish it. Garet was pacing now, and Piers was watching Sheba with a solemn expression. Felix was silent, but the very air around him seemed charged with quiet fury.

"The rest is pretty straightforward," Sheba said softly. "Alex pretty much marched out of the palace with his head in the air. At one point, I attacked him, and we came into contact. Being a psychic, I instinctively tried to read his mind to see if he had any weaknesses. He was protected, and the backlash was pretty severe. I saw a lot, and most of what I've told you just now was learned from that, but I was also struck with more pain than I had ever felt. It was a sledgehammer to the skull. I've had a headache since then."

"You managed to read Alex's mind..." Piers said. "What else did you see?"

"Too much," Sheba muttered in disgust. "I saw all the plans and scheming. I saw him lusting after Mia, his cousin. I saw him tearing apart his own body to watch it regenerate. Other things I didn't understand or even want to. There was a lot of stuff I couldn't see, though. His deepest secrets, guarded so heavily it would take hours to get through all the barriers. Most of his childhood was blocked in that way."

"No weaknesses?" Piers asked.

Sheba shook her head. "I don't know what he's become. He's clearly not human anymore if he can survive being blown into a thousand pieces. He's some kind of monster."

They all sat in silence, taking in everything Sheba had told them. Felix noticed that Xion was gone, having slipped off at some point. She hadn't spoken the entire time, he realized. Things really were bothering her. He mentally apologized however, because he couldn't be there to help her at the moment.

"I need to go see Jenna," Felix said to Sheba. "If I leave the Lapis here with Piers, can you take me to Kalay?"

"Not until morning, Felix," Sheba said. "My Psynergy is drained. I spent the last half a day trying to find you guys, and all those Teleports wore me out. I guess it was my fault for checking Contigo first. You must have got here right after I left to look elsewhere."

Noticing his worried expression, Sheba placed a hand on Felix's shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine. She was asleep when I left, but she had woken briefly before I did. She didn't seem to remember anything that happened. If that's the case, then there's nothing to worry about, right?"

"You're right," Felix said. "We can't go barging in the middle of the night, anyway. I think Xion slipped out at some point. I'm going to go look for her, alright?"

Without waiting for an answer, Felix left the room. After a moment, Piers excused himself as well, leaving Garet and Sheba alone.

"Heavy stuff," Garet muttered.

"Yeah. Depressing."

They both frowned for a moment, before meeting each other's eyes and breaking out into wide grins.

"You noticed?" Garet asked.

"You'd have to be blind not to."

"And what a shame that would be."

 

The man in black watched his once-companion stroll idly through the empty streets of Contigo from his usual cliff.

Axel was oblivious to his presence. He could draw his weapon and strike in an instant. He knew Axel's instincts were sharp enough that he would notice the attack before he could actually hit him, but the initiative would be his. And for someone as fast as he was, that would be all he needed...

His weapon appeared with a flash of light. He tightened his grip around it, preparing to leap...

"Wait, Xaldin."

He turned, thrown off guard by the unexpected arrival of his companion. Saix's blue hair seemed to shimmer under the bright moonlight as he stepped out of the underbrush. His face was blank and empty, as always.

"Why did you stop me?" Xaldin asked, pulling back his hood. "Axel is a traitor. He is one of them. And he walks, alone and oblivious, completely open to a surprise attack."

"Exactly," Saix chastised him. "Think about what you just said. What is wrong with this scenario?"

Xaldin turned, staring down at the casual form of Axel, and thought. The answer struck him so suddenly that he hated himself for not realizing it immediately. He scowled.

"Of course," he muttered. "He knows we're here. It's a reverse-trap. He hoped to lure us out."

"You're half-right," Saix said, stepping up beside him and also staring down at Axel. "He knows a member has been posted at each Lighthouse, thought not which at each. With Luxord and Demyx gone, that leaves yourself and Xigbar. You have a drastically different fighting style compared to Xigbar. Taking on either of you requires different tactics. Axel planned to draw out the member stationed at Jupiter Lighthouse only to learn his identity. He would then retreat, and use this knowledge to form a strategy."

"You think he does not know of your presence?"

"It is possible, but unlikely. He knows I am still abroad, but the last place he saw me was Kalay. He may have considered that I would come here to meet with you, though it is just as likely that I would go to Prox to find Xigbar."

Xaldin scratched his chin. "For the sake of safety, we should assume he does know of you. In that case, what course of action should we take? What would Xemnas expect of us?"

"Xemnas is gone, you fool," Saix spat the name. "Have you already forgotten your new allegiance? The Organization XIII has ceased to be. We are now no more than a handful of scattered Nobodies, trapped in this forsaken, stagnant world. There is no longer an objective. All that remains is our vengeance."

"Exactly!" Xaldin exclaimed, turning to face his companion. "Vengeance! Which is why I sought to attack Axel just now! Why continue our clandestine ways when there is no longer any need? We can assume the offensive and take Axel together right now!"

"Because Axel is not the one who destroyed the Organization."

"What are you saying?!" Xaldin demanded. "Axel incinerated our base! That was the final stroke that destroyed us!"

"Indeed, but Axel would have remained the useful tool he was had it not been for the other..." Said turned and glared at the house on the hill. "The puppet that calls itself Xion. It's insubordination was the true catalyst. Our efforts to recapture it divided our resources and trapped four of our number here, which was the first step towards our doom. Roxas, our remaining keyblade master, turned against us for its sake, which prevented the completion of Kingdom Hearts. Its actions at Mercury Lighthouse led to the recovery of Alex, which required us to take Alex's cousin as one of our own as potential leverage. That ultimately accomplished nothing, save for driving Axel to become a turncoat as well. All the threads that destroyed us lead back to that single moment when the puppet decided it had the right to be."

Xaldin considered Saix's words. "So it is Xion that we must kill?"

Saix shook his head. "Not kill. It's death would not be a satisfactory victory for us. First, we must reinforce the fact that, despite what it has done, the puppet can never be. Remind it that it is a farce among even our standards. Drive it to despair. Then, we can let it kill itself."

Xaldin nodded. "I see now. Yes, I see. Vengeance will be ours. What must we do first?"

"The first step has already been taken by our new master. We must only wait and let the pieces fall into place..."

 

Felix materialized in Kalay's dark and empty town square, the very place where he, Ivan, and Garet had fought Alex. An effort that proved futile in the end. Looking back, it was a miracle they had even survived.

Felix looked at the Teleport Lapis in his hand. He felt bad about deceiving the others, and even worse about leaving Xion to her problems. It was thanks to Xion that he could even go to Kalay and see Jenna. But he needed to know she was alright after that wild story Sheba had told him.

He quickly approached the palace, to find the usual pair of guards flanking the entrance. He told them who he was, and one vanished inside to get someone.

Felix was expecting Isaac to greet him, but instead it was Ivan who emerged.

"Felix?" Ivan asked, as though making sure it was him. "So Sheba found you guys after all. That's a relief. Is it just you?"

He nodded.

"Alright, come inside. Jenna's asleep right now, but I'm sure she won't mind being woken if it's you."

Felix followed Ivan inside. The small boy led him through the vaguely familiar hallways towards what he was sure was Jenna's room. The only source of light was a candle in Ivan's hands, which cast orange light on the walls.

"How has your quest been?" Ivan asked as they walked.

"There were some complications, but we managed to get the Venus Essence," he replied. "The others are in Contigo right now, with your sister."

Ivan nodded, seemingly relieved. "Xion seems like a nice girl. I hope she can figure things out. She's got you to help her after all."

"She is," Felix replied. He didn't get many chances to speak alone with Ivan, so he was somewhat less familiar with the boy than the other members of their group. From what he had learned of him, though, he could tell Ivan was an honest and trustworthy person.

"I don't think Sheba mentioned you while she was telling us the story," Felix noticed. "Were you there when... everything was happening?"

Ivan shook his head. "I was in town, helping some of the citizens. But I did see Alex emerge from the palace just before he warped away. I panicked, fearing the worst, and ran back inside. I really wish I had been there when it happened. Things might have worked out differently. I might even have been able to prevent it in the first place."

"Best not to dwell on the past," Felix muttered, hardly realizing he had spoken aloud.

Ivan gave a wry little chuckle. "I don't much like to dwell on the future, either."

Of course. Ivan's visions were few and far between, unlike his sister's. But they were never pleasant. He seemed to be able to predict only the worst things.

"You didn't see this happening?" Felix asked.

"Ever since the Golden Sun event, Hama hasn't had any visions concerning Alex. She never mentioned any before that either, actually. The one I had about Jenna was mostly focused on her, I actually barely even saw Alex in it. We're here."

Felix looked up, having been staring at the floor. Ivan had stopped in front of a nondescript door.

"She's in there," he said. "I'll let you have your privacy."

"Thank you, Ivan," Felix said. "I'll uh... probably just leave when I'm done."

"That's not a problem," Ivan said. "I'm going to go back to not sleeping now,"

Ivan turned and left, the illumination of the candle going with him. Felix sighed, and slowly opened the door.

Jenna was sleeping softly on her bed in the center of the room. Felix went to stand beside her, looking down at his little sister.

She looked peaceful. He didn't want to wake her, and considered not even bothering. Neither Sheba nor Ivan had said she was still having problems, so he had no reason to assume she was. So he didn't need to wake her from her restful sleep to confirm that.

He felt guilty for leaving her. Not just leaving her in Kalay, but also when he had fallen into the chasm with Xion, and she hadn't known what had happened to him. He had lashed out at anyone who got near him, and he'd ended up hurting the people closest to him because of it. Even though it had only been a few months ago, he felt like he had grown so much since then.

And speaking of abandoning her, he couldn't leave out the storm. Even though he hadn't had a choice in being taken to Prox, it didn't change the fact that he hadn't wanted to go back. The look on her face in Sol Sanctum, trying to hold back tears after he'd taken the mask off, would haunt him forever.

He thought about waking her, and reassuring her that he wouldn't abandon her again. But it would be more of a reassurance to himself than to her.

He was just content to see that she was okay. He turned and left silently, fine with the knowledge that she was alive and well.

But even as he left, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.

Was he even abandoning her now?

 

Piers wasn't quite sure what he expected to find when he arrived at the edge of the massive crater. But Xion wasn't what he'd been expecting.

The girl didn't move as he approached her. Even as he sat down next to her, and looked at her troubled expression, she gave no reaction to indicate that she was even aware of his presence.

She wasn't looking into the crater, but up at the many stars shining in the night sky.

"There's so many of them..." she said softly.

He didn't reply. Xion slowly turned her head and met his gaze for the first time.

"Piers," she simply said. He couldn't tell if she was relieved or disappointed that it was him and not Felix.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" he asked.

Xion smirked. "I could ask you the same thing. Or is it okay for you to walk around at night and not me because I'm a girl?"

Piers chuckled and sat back on the ground, holding his head in his hands. "I think that, after Venus Lighthouse, you've more than proven that you don't need us to protect you."

At the mention of Venus Lighthouse, Xion's smile faded, replaced by the morose look she'd been wearing all day. She looked back up at the stars and stared at them silently for several minutes.

Piers was a patient man, so he saw no need to break the silence. But he ultimately did, for someone else's sake. "Felix is worried about you."

"Did he tell you that?"

"He didn't need to. It is very obvious."

"What did he do after the meeting?"

"He feft to check up on his sister, no doubt. He has the Teleport Lapis, and despite Sheba's insistence that they would go tomorrow, he won't want to wait to make sure she's okay."

Xion didn't say anything, so Piers continued.

"Did you come here hoping that Felix would follow you?"

Xion shook her head. "I came here to get away from Felix. I would rather he worry about his sister than me."

"And you thought disappearing on him would alleviate these concerns?"

Xion shrugged. "I just wanted to get away."

Piers looked up at the stars, as Xion did the same. "Anything you'd like to talk about?"

Xion hesitated. Piers resisted the urge to laugh. She had the same expression on her face as Felix would when Piers would ask him the same thing. It was amazing really, how much those two had in common.

"I just..." she said slowly. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I killed someone yesterday. I killed two more people a few days before that. None of them were Nobodies, or Heartless, or monsters. They were just people that had different views than mine. Riku... we shouldn't have been enemies. We had every reason to get along and work together. We both wanted the same thing. But he would have killed me in a moment just because he wanted to do it a different way."

Piers thought about her words. "That reminds me of a story. Has Felix ever told you about Saturos and Menardi?"

Xion nodded.

"I wasn't there when Isaac's group fought with them, so I don't know how accurate my knowledge of the events is, but I do know that Felix's group and Isaac's group both wanted to do the same thing: and that would be save the world. Because of a little misinformation, some stubborn tempers, and a lack of proper communication, Saturos and Menardi ended up dead almost unnecessarily."

"Almost?"

"While they had their redeeming qualities, they also turned murderous towards the end. A few innocent people died because of that. It helps justify their deaths when you remember that."

"Felix never fails to leave that part out," Xion added.

"Indeed. And why do you think that is?"

Xion looked over at Piers. "I don't know. Because Felix really hated Saturos?"

"Partly, but it also helps Felix deal with his own guilt. Despite how much he hated those two, he still feels bad that they died. It's only human nature to feel sorrow at death. And Demyx and Riku were close to you, so its okay to be sad that they're gone."

Xion said nothing.

"There really are a lot of stars," Piers said. "It makes one feel small."

"Each one is another world," Xion told him. "I've been to a few of them. Some are strange, and some are beautiful."

"Just like people," Piers said.

Xion nodded, tears beginning to form at the edges of her eyes. "So I guess this means that I really am a person, huh? If I even feel sorry for the deaths of my enemies?"

"I don't think there is anything more human than that."

Xion rolled onto her side and gave Piers a questioning look, but his attention was now elsewhere. He was staring up at the stars, his mind on his own troubles. The concept of his own mortality that he had never considered. He'd never had the need, having spent so many years in Lemuria. Just the other day he had started seeing the first signs of aging in his face.

Xion rolled back over, and sighed quietly. "I just want this all to be over. This quest... it turned out to be a lot more complex than I thought it would be. I didn't realize... I didn't think so many things would change. I didn't think... that I would change."

She looked down at herself with a look of self-contempt as she said those words.

"I haven't seen Roxas since I left the Organization and came here," she continued. "That was almost a year ago. Axel said he vanished after the battle at the castle. He could be anywhere... on any of those worlds up there."

Piers frowned. "You have spoken of him before. I understand he is a close friend of yours?"

"He is."

"Then there is nothing to worry about," Piers assured her, causing her to look over at him. "He likely misses you just as much as you do him. He is probably trying to find you even as we speak. And once your quest is over, as it soon will be, you can leave and look for him as well."

Xion smiled sadly.

"You think he's near?"

"He is probably closer to you than you think."

They said little more, content to like there next to the gaping crater, staring up at the many stars, illuminated only by the silver moonlight and the faint violet glow of Jupiter Lighthouse.

 

Axel stopped at the warp pad in the center of Contigo, and listened closely to the silence of the night.

He had strolled through and around the town several times, whistling the whole way. He had felt the eyes of the night upon him, though whether they were the eyes of curious villagers or prowling creatures was not known to him.

No familiar faces had appeared to him.

"Guess nobody's coming out to play then..." he said with a slight smirk.

Axel turned and made his way back to the hill which Hama's house rested on.

 

Saix watched his once-friend turn and leave. Xaldin had since gone, leaving Saix alone with the night.

The scarred Nobody turned his gaze up to the moon, high in the sky. The moon was always strong in Contigo.

Though it was not the moon he had been wishing for.

"Why would he choose that puppet when any of us would do?" he asked himself aloud. "Why would he change his mind when his first choice was so close to the goal?"

The night offered no answer. But it didn't matter. Nothing would change his mind now, not even his new master. Even if it meant going against orders, he would not deter himself now.

He would watch the puppet end its own life.


	28. Right Where it Belongs

"Get ready, it's pretty big."

Garet could be heard suppressing a snicker at Felix's unintentional double entendre. That earned him a quick glare from their leader.

The Venus Adept led the group through the dark chamber, with Garet providing illumination via a finger-torch. Their group was larger than usual, comprising of the usual party of Felix, Garet, Piers, and Xion, as well as Sheba and Hama. The only person who wasn't there was Axel, who had politely passed on the prospect, offering a stomachache excuse that nobody believed.

Noon had rolled around before everyone had gotten out of bed and gathered in Hama's house. Tired eyes were all around, courtesy of the long night. After everyone had had their respective breakfasts and woke up a bit, Felix and Piers had explained the chamber they found last night.

It was agreed by all that it needed to be checked out.

Sheba, as usual, was immediately interested when the Anemos were mentioned. Felix had expected her to return to Kalay now that she'd told them her news, but she seemed to want to hang around for a little while, and Felix was still too tired to argue with her.

The inevitable discussion of their next step was on everyone's mind, but nobody dared bring it up around Felix. He seemed particularly full of angst that morning, and no one was about to poke that sleeping lion. With Sheba's news of Axel's escape, as well as Jenna's condition, nobody knew what was on Felix's mind, and whether he would want to continue the essence quest, or go after Alex. It was unspoken knowledge that he had teleported to Kalay last night to see Jenna, and nobody knew how that had gone and if it had anything to do with Felix's mood.

Indeed, the air was tense where Felix was concerned. The others were just waiting for him to start screaming and swinging his sword around like a maniac.

But of course, he didn't.

In usual contrast to Felix's brooding attitude, Xion was back to her usual self, seemingly unaffected by the fact that she had stayed up longer than anyone else last night. She walked with a spring in her step, and she'd had a smile on her face since she woke up.

The others were all in varying states of awake-ness.

"Alright, cover your eyes everyone," Felix instructed them. "This place lights up like a yuletide tree when you take that step, and your eyes won't be ready."

They all followed his orders and shielded their eyes. Felix stepped down off the platform and several thousand torches lit up, bathing the room in white light.

"Whoa!"

Garet, being the first to uncover his eyes, caught the first sight of the fifty-story statue of Lunos glaring down at them, and jumped back with a yelp.

"I told you it was big," Felix said with his first smirk of the day.

"That guy looks ticked off about something," Sheba said, whistling as she examined the very tall statue. "So that's what he looks like with a head..."

"The statue back in the ruins near Imil wasn't nearly this big," Xion observed. "Perhaps this was their main city?"

"It's not a city," Piers said. "Whatever this place is, it was clearly never meant to be found. Actually getting in the Anemos Inner Sanctum required us to travel all over the world and collect many djinn. And then there was Dullahan, who was quite possibly the most difficult opponent we ever face."

"Dullahan wasn't guarding this place, though," Felix pointed out. "He was guarding the Iris Tablet, remember? And with how well this chamber was hidden... it was supposed to look like one had done as much as could be done after beating Dullahan. The people who built this place had no problem with someone walking away from with Iris so long as they never stopped to consider there was another chamber behind it."

"Guarded by many layers of secrets..." Piers mused. "So the Teleport Pad in the center..."

"Leads to the greatest secrets of the Anemos." Hama finished.

They turned around, surprised the seer had spoken.

"Do you know where it goes?" Felix asked. "Have you foreseen something?"

Hama shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I have lately been having holes in my visions. I cannot see anything relating to Alex or Xion, so any events where they are present or have influenced are unknown to me. The future, as I can see it, is thus filled with empty patches, and what I can see only serves to confuse things."

Felix turned back around, staring down the ornate circle with a sense of premonition. "So not even a prophet can tell us what will happen if we use that... For all we know it could take us to the very bowels of hell itself..."

Sheba strode past the others, approaching the circle and kneeling down in front of it.

"What are you-" Garet started to say, before being cut off by Sheba's raised hand.

The young Jupiter Adept stared at the circle for a few moments, before rising and shaking her head.

"What?" Garet demanded.

"It's broken." Sheba said with a shrug.

"What are you saying?!" Felix exclaimed.

"It's broken," Sheba repeated. "There's no other side. It goes nowhere. It used to have another side, but it got separated somehow, or something. If you tried to use it, it would just fizzle out, and you'd still be here."

Felix looked like he wanted to explode. He swore several times, and stomped off to a corner of the room, mumbling incoherently.

Sheba sighed. "Oh, well. I've lived seventeen years not knowing, I guess I can live seventeen more."

"Not knowing?" Garet said. "Did you hope to learn something about where you came from, Sheba?"

"Kraden was the one who gave me the idea," Sheba said, taking a seat on the steps and sighing again. "He said some stuff about the Anemos, and the moon, and me falling from the sky as a baby. That's why I've been traveling with him to all those old ruins. I was hoping I could find something, some clue, as to who I am and where I came from."

Xion sat beside Sheba and gave her a hug to cheer her up. "It'll be okay. I'm sure you'll figure it out some day."

Sheba smiled. "Thanks, Xion."

Felix wandered back over to the group. "Well, this was a waste of time. Piers and I should have tried it last night. Then we would've known, and this trip wouldn't have been necessary."

"No, it's a good thing we didn't," Piers said. "As you said, it could have taken us anywhere. Without the support of the others, things could be disastrous in dangerous situations. Putting aside that the pad is defunct, it's always better to be safe."

"So... what now?" Garet asked.

"This is a dead end," Felix said. "So there's no point in wasting anymore time here. Let's head back to Hama's place, relax, and get something to eat. After we're rested up and I'm in a better mood... we'll go to Jupiter Lighthouse."

The others stared at him for a moment, but nobody questioned him. Felix turned and led the way out.

The statue of Lunos watched them leave.

 

"Thank you very much," a hooded Axel said to the villager he had been speaking with. The Nobody discreetly slipped a few gold coins to the man, then took a few steps away and vanished into the flow of the crowd.

Few of the people around Axel seemed to take notice of him. He quickly made his way through the town, and returned to the hill where Hama's house was. Nobodies were very good at not being noticed, even in the middle of the day in a crowded town. Now that Axel had been among ordinary people, and no longer a member of Organization XIII, he had decided that the black coats they used to wear had probably worked against them when it came to staying unseen during missions. In fact, quite a few of Xemnas' decisions seemed rather poor in hindsight. For one, revealing themselves in the first place. Had they simply remained in the shadows, and let Sora go about his business killing Heartless, would Kingdom Hearts not have been completed in time? But the moment Xemnas had appeared in front of the Keyblade master in Hollow Bastion, the first seeds of their undoing had been sown.

Not that Axel really cared about that. All that mattered to him was finding Roxas and keeping him and Xion safe.

And getting back at them for killing Ixma.

He scowled at the thought of Saix. To think he had once considered the man his only friend and ally. They had both changed after becoming Nobodies, but Saix was not even a shade of Isa anymore. Now he was just another loose thread that Axel needed to tie up.

He needs to die.

The house was empty. No surprise there. Felix had likely taken the others to Jupiter Lighthouse by now. That was fine, because they wouldn't need his help there.

The member was in the town, just as he had expected.

Finding out which member was in the town was Axel's only problem. The townspeople he had questioned had indeed sighted a large man in a black coat lingering on the edge of the town.

Axel scoffed. The former members of Organization XIII were fools not to ditch those clothes, as he and Xion had.

The problem was that both Xigbar and Xaldin could fit that description. The eyewitnesses were too vague in their stories to be sure who it was.

There was no doubt the member stationed there was observing their every action. Axel had strolled the town last night hoping to draw them out, but they had been too smart to take the bait. And their inaction was no clue either. Xaldin and Xigbar were both cunning enough to realize it was a trap.

Axel took a scrap of paper and wrote down a list of names.

Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Saix, Axel, Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia, Larxene, Roxas, Xion.

Then he crossed off the ones he was sure were dead.

Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Saix, Axel, Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia, Larxene, Roxas, Xion.

That was only half of their number. Axel was a bit surprised. It had seemed like more were dead, but now that he actually counted, only seven of the fourteen members were. Not counting himself, Xion or Roxas, that still left four enemies:

Xemnas.

Xigbar.

Xaldin.

Saix.

And Axel could know no peace until they were all dead.

With a sigh, he folded the piece of paper and put it in his pocket. Then he went outside to wait for the others to return.

 

Axel was waiting on the front deck when they got back. He rose when he saw them, seemingly surprised.

"That was fast," he said. "Nothing happened at the lighthouse then?"

"We weren't at the lighthouse," Felix snapped. "We were exploring the ruins below the crater from some clue about Lunos. You would know that if you'd been at the house this morning when we went over this."

Felix pushed past Axel and stepped inside the house, slamming the door shut behind him. Axel turned around to the others and raised an eyebrow.

"He's just cranky today," Xion said.

"Ah."

Axel explained his activities of the day to everyone, including the news that the lighthouse was empty. Piers went inside to tell Felix. Hama quickly followed after excusing herself.

Axel, Xion, Sheba, and Garet were left outside. Or the 'cool crowd', as they called themselves.

"So how exactly is this going to go down?" Axel asked. "The trip to the lighthouse, that is."

"Felix doesn't want to make a big thing out of it," Garet said. "Just in-and-out, he said. Somebody seems to die every time we go to one of these things."

Xion nodded sadly.

"So he just wants to take a small group and slip through as quickly as we can," Garet finished.

"Who does he plan on taking?" Axel asked.

"Me, of course," Xion said. "Himself. And one other person. Whoever is best at moving unseen."

"Only three people? But we have half a dozen people here. If a fight does happen..."

"He's prepared for that," Sheba said. "Everyone else, myself included, will be waiting here and watching the lighthouse. Felix will have a flare with him, and if he activates it, I'll warp the others to the lighthouse to help out."

"In-and-out," Garet repeated. "He says the plan is to not spend more than ten minutes there."

"And what about the Organization member in the town?" Axel asked. "What plans do we have regarding them?"

"Whatever Felix decides," Sheba said with a shrug. "He and Piers and Hama are probably working on a strategy right now."

"In that case, I'm going to go take a nap," Axel said. "I didn't get much rest last night, and I'm pooped. Somebody wake me up if anything happens."

"Yeah, I think I'll do the same," Garet said with a yawn.

Axel and Garet disappeared inside the house. A moment after they left, Sheba burst out laughing.

"Those two have an awful lot in common, don't they?" she asked Xion. "Both use fire, both have red hair that defies gravity, and they're both lazy bums who don't take anything seriously."

"That's it in a nutshell," Xion replied. "I think that's why I found it so easy to talk to Garet after we met. It was just like all those times I used to chat with Axel and Roxas on the clocktower."

Sheba noticed Xion had bowed her head and wore a sad expression. She quickly went to Xion's side and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Sheba asked.

"I don't know," Xion sighed. "I already vented a lot of my problems out to Piers last night."

"Piers isn't a girl, though," Sheba said with a grin. "C'mon, let's go for a walk. You can tell me what's on your mind."

Sheba and Xion wandered off, strolling by the edge of town and talking.

Xion told her about Roxas and Axel, and the ice cream, and the various things they had been through during their time with Organization XIII. She told Sheba about the seashells she had collected for Roxas while he was in a coma, and how he had done the same thing for her.

"Aww, that's so cute," Sheba cooed. "What does Roxas look like?"

Xion frowned. What a strange question, she thought. "He's about my height... well, my height before I got older anyway. He's got blonde hair... blue eyes..."

Sheba was grinning. "Do you like him?"

"Of course I like him," Xion replied. "He's my first friend."

Then she noticed the look Sheba was giving her.

"Oh..." Xion couldn't help but blush. "I, uh... maybe... a little."

Sheba practically squealed.

"But... you have to remember... we don't have hearts. I only realized what I was feeling long after we parted, after Mercury Lighthouse even. And Roxas... he never showed any interest in me."

"Interesting... what about Felix?"

Xion's eyes were as wide as golfballs.

"F-F-Felix?!"

Sheba doubled over from laughter.

"That tells me everything I need to know!"

"Oh?" Xion crossed her arms. "And what is that?"

"You like Felix, don't you?"

"I do not!"

"Yes you do! Admit it!"

"Never!"

The two girls glared at each other for a moment, then they both fell over, laughing.

"We're such a couple of cliches, aren't we?" Sheba said. "Any time two girls get together all they can talk about is boys, right?"

Xion laughed, but as she looked away, the smile faded from her lips.

 

"There's nothing else to discuss," Felix said at last, rising from the table. "We'll wait until sunset, and set out for Jupiter Lighthouse."

Piers watched his friend leave the room, wanting to voice his opinion. He knew there were other things that needed to be addressed, but Felix had left no room for argument in his speech.

The truth of the matter was that, while Felix was more concerned about Alex's actions, there was nothing they could do to even locate him until he chose to make a move himself. Jenna was fine, and it seemed as though Alex was no longer interested in her or Isaac now that he had what he wanted from them. And with no idea what Alex planned to do after attaining the full power of the Golden Sun, they could do nothing to keep it from him.

Alex's motivations were once again a mystery.

So for the time being, there was just nothing for them to do but focus on Xion and her quest.

They were back to their usual niche: mere pawns in a game of chess, being played by being superior to them.

With a disgusted sigh, Piers left the room.

 

Several minutes later, everyone met again.

"Myself," said Felix to the gathered group, "Xion. And Axel."

The Nobody was rather surprised to hear his name.

"Why me?"

Felix turned to him. "You're fast. Adept at recon and moving unseen. Trained as an assassin. Your Organization XIII training is perfect for what we aim to do. The entire point of this mission is to get in and out as quickly as possible. I have no doubt that the member posted here is aware of our presence. Avoiding a battle is crucial."

"We'll have to face them eventually," Axel pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Felix replied. "The mission has changed now that Alex is loose. The Organization is no longer the threat it once was. They've been reduced to half their number, and they are scattered and with no means of contact. We can focus on them at a later time. For now, the goal is to quickly get Xion's Essences, then return to Kalay and focus on Alex."

"Don't forget Lunos," Xion said quietly.

Everyone in the room turned to her.

"Do you know something?" Piers asked.

"Those ruins we were at yesterday..." Xion said, her head bowed. "I know what they are. They're the way back. The door back to this world, in case the Anemos ever wanted to return."

"Return?" Sheba said.

"Yes," Xion said softly. "Because if they ever could restore Lunos, he would want to take back his empire."

 

"Are you okay?"

Xion looked up. Felix stood before.

The Venus Adept was far calmer than before, his previous irritation gone and replaced by heavy eyes. He looked like he could collapse any moment.

"I'll be fine," Xion insisted.

"I know you'll be fine," Felix said, moving and taking a seat next to her. "What I'm concerned about is how you are right now."

Xion sighed.

"I don't know. I have so many doubts."

Felix sighed as well.

"As do I."

 

With the signal flare in his pocket, Felix led the way as he, Xion, and Axel ascended the Jupiter Lighthouse. They moved as shadows, passing through the rooms quickly and scouring areas ahead of time, anticipating traps and ambushes.

Everything was bathed in stars and shades of violet. The night sky was a beauty, but the omnipresent feeling of dread that resonated through the tower was undenyable. They all felt it. Something was waiting for them.

Perhaps it was the Organization member. Perhaps it was just a feeling.

Perhaps it was fate at work.

As they passed from one tower to another, lightning struck, and rain began to pour down upon them. The violet light of the tower entered a battle with the void of darkness of the storm.

Everything was then darker.

As they passed through one particular chamber, they saw something odd. A pile of stones, half crushed into rubble.

"This was not here before," Felix said. "Someone has passed through this room. An earth elemental."

"What does this change?" Axel asked.

"A conflict is now expected, rather than feared," Felix said. "Other than that, nothing. Let's go."

They left the pile of stones behind, and ran back into the night. The violet glow of the beacon was strong now, and it illuminated the entire area with a florescent glow. The rain had only gotten stronger.

Nobody was waiting for them at the aerie.

"Get your Essence quickly, Xion," Felix told her. "I don't like this feeling. This has all been too easy."

Xion nodded, and went to the beacon while Felix and Axel stood watch. She pulled back her sleeve and caressed the purple sphere of energy, feeling flush as the energy flowed into her. She stepped back, dizzy, and fell back, into Felix's waiting arms.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, though she knew she wasn't.

Felix supported her as she regained her balance. Axel watched them for a moment, before turning away.

The beacon wavered, as though drained of energy. It grew dim, and faded away, leaving them without its light. And as the moon was shrouded by storm clouds, they were left in darkness and silence, with only the hiss of the falling rain.

"What happened to the beacon?" Axel demanded.

"I don't know," Xion said. "This didn't happen with the others..."

The beacon returned, but very faintly. It was as though it was clinging to life. The glow was only a shadow of its previous self, and it provided just enough light for Felix and Xion to see each other, but Axel was lost in darkness.

"Axel?" Xion called out.

"I'm still here."

Lightning struck somewhere far off, suddenly bathing the aerie in white light. And Xion, so surprised at what she saw, could not help but scream.

Axel was turned towards them, and Felix was looking at her, so she was the only one who saw it. A massive beast, silently crawling up over the edge of the tower. Fifty-feet long, with massive wings, a heavy tail, and teeth the size of spears. And it was right behind Axel.

Axel heard her scream, and he turned and saw the dragon. The Nobody conjured his chakrams, and braced himself for the attack. The dragon swung at Axel, its claws being caught by the chakrams before they could maul him.

Axel was knocked down to his knees, but Felix was already moving to help him. Felix overflowed with Psynergy, and struck the dragon with a spire and a Ragnarok. The beast howled in pain, but continued its assault on Axel. The Nobody was pushed down to the floor, as the dragon closed in and opened its mouth.

The dragon's long fangs glistened under the violet glow of the beacon.

Xion knew that if she did not move to help him, Axel would die. But she hesitated. A feeling of dread filled her. The dragon was fierce. It was crushingly powerful. Normally that wouldn't concern her. She had faced powerful enemies in the past. Fear never held her back.

But the dragon terrified her.

Felix attacked the dragon, bringing the Sol Blade down in an attack aimed to behead the dragon. The massive beast seemed hardly concerned. It swung its heavy tail, striking Felix in the chest and knocking him aside like an insect.

Felix landed some distance away, groaning in pain, but not stopping for even a moment. He rose to his knees, and reached into his back pocket to draw the flare. He stuck the flare against the floor of the lighthouse, and there were sparks as it lit.

It then fizzled out, too soaked by the rain to light.

"Dammit!" Felix screamed. He stood up, picked up the Sol Blade, and considered the situation.

Felix thoughts were interrupted by Axel's scream. He was trapped beneath the dragon's massive claws, his clothes torn, and blood mingling with the rain. Axel was doing everything he could to escape, struggling and blasting fire at the dragon's face. But the rain and the dragon's natural resistance to heat rendered his efforts useless.

Felix noticed Xion, standing by the beacon and watching the dragon's vicious assault against Axel in terror. Her fists were clenched, and she was trembling.

"Xion, I need your help!" Felix called to her.

No reply.

"Xion, Axel will die if we don't help him!"

No reply.

"Xion, we-"

And then she screamed.

The Soul Eater appeared in Xion's hands, and she charged straight at the dragon. The beast looked up as she closed in, its expression changing from one of rage to a look of confusion. Like a child that was being scolded for something they didn't understand.

The dragon looked betrayed.

The beast offered no resistance as Xion swung the sword in blind fury, screaming in uncharacteristic rage. The dragon's throat was cut clean across, and blood sprayed out across the floor of the tower. It drew back, twitching and convulsing.

Axel forcing himself up on his hands and crawled away, his wounds bleeding, but not mortal. He crawled a feet meters away, and collapsed. Felix ran to his side, and started healing him with Psynergy.

The dragon drew back, dying. It fell on its back with a heavy thud, red blood pooling at the wound on its throat. Its body began to deteriorate.

Felix turned from Axel, content that his wounds were stable. He saw that Xion was standing as still as before, simply watching the dragon die.

He knew what was going to happen next. He had seen it himself many times.

Saturos and Menardi.

Karst and Agatio.

His parents and Kyle.

He was familiar enough with the transformations to recognize what was going on. It had all clicked, the whole cruel truth of it. He should have told Xion. Perhaps she had already known, in some part of her mind. But the necessity of the situation had silenced him. Only she could have stopped the dragon, and if he had told her, she never would have raised her sword.

The dragon's body withered and faded to nothing, leaving only the head. And that head swelled and burst like an egg, revealing the person within. The person who had been transformed.

"Oh, no no no no no no no no no no no..."

Roxas was barely alive. His skin was pale, thin, and malnourished. His arms were thin and skeletal. His eyes were sunk in holes. The black coat of Organization XIII was nothing more than a tattered rag that barely covered him. And he bled freely from the wound at his neck.

"ROXAS NOOOO!"

Xion ran to her friend, and Felix followed her with a muttered curse. Axel sat up and saw what was happening, and the color drained from his face.

Felix and Xion reached Roxas, and the Venus Adept placed his hands near the wound at the side of his neck. It only took a few seconds for Felix to close the wound, but that wasn't what he was worried about.

His parents had been in perfect health in the aftermath of the Mars Lighthouse battle. And they wouldn't have survived without the energy of the lighthouse. They had been transformed... for an afternoon at most.

How long had Roxas been like this?

Xion was without words. Her eyes were filled with a fear Felix had never seen in her.

The rain was strong now.

"Xion," Felix said, "Tend to Axel. I'll get Roxas back to town. We'll... do what we can."

He couldn't promise her they would save him. Because he doubted it could be done. It was probably by sheer will that Roxas still lived at all.

Felix took Roxas as gently as possible and rose. He almost gasped at how little the boy weighed.

Xion did not move, or give any indication that she had heard him. Perhaps she had not.

Felix used the Teleport Lapis to return to Hama's house.

 

"Any news?" Axel asked tensely, appearing from outside.

Garet and Sheba stood outside of the room where Roxas was being tended to. Piers and Hama had closed and locked the door, telling them Roxas would need their absolute attention. The boy had looked deathlike when Felix had arrived. Xion and Axel had joined them a few minutes later, Xion a sobbing wreck. Felix and Xion had vanished into one of the other rooms, leaving the odd trio of Garet, Sheba, and Axel. As usual, Axel had disappeared outside to cool off.

Everything was tense. Piers and Hama had not emerged from the room for an hour.

Garet shook his head, in response to Axel's question.

The Nobody gave a heavy sigh, and sat in one of the empty chairs.

"I don't know what to think of this," Axel muttered, in an unusual display of expression, "While I'm glad to see he's alive, I'm also terrified, because that could change any moment."

"That's understandable," Sheba told him.

"Did Felix tell you what happened?" he asked.

"He's been with Xion the whole time," Garet said.

The corners of Axel's mouth tightened. "Of course he has."

Nobody said anything for a while. Garet and Sheba were unsure how to comfort the enigmatic character before them, and the fact that he had opened up to them at all was awkward to them. The resulting silence was even more so.

Axel stared at the floor with an unreadable expression.

"He went after me," Axel said quietly. "I know he was in control. I saw the way he reacted when Xion attacked him. He was in there. And he wanted to tear me to pieces. Felix wasn't even worth his attention. It was all me. He hates me."

Silence.

"And I deserve it..."

 

She didn't say anything.

He didn't say anything.

He simply held her for an indefinite amount of time. She cried into his shoulder, and he held her and let her do so.

He understood all too well what she was feeling. He had done the exact thing himself. He had waited, hoping to be reunited with his parents for so long, only to watch as they died from wounds he had given them himself.

But they had survived. There was no guarantee that Roxas would be so lucky.

The long wait was unbearable for him, so he couldn't imagine what it was like for her.

 

At last, the long wait came to an end. Piers and Hama emerged, exhausted, and told them that Roxas was recovering and they could see him. Axel went into the room while Garet knocked on the door and told Felix and Xion.

A second later, Xion burst from the room and disappeared after Axel. Felix stepped out a moment later, also looking tired.

"So how is the boy?" he asked Piers.

"He shows a remarkable will to live," the Lemurian said. "I did everything I could, but all I could really do was make him comfortable. Any recovery will be of his own will. Time will tell, but I'm optimistic. He seems to be a tough kid."

"He's stable then?"

"Yeah. And awake, too."

Felix's expression grew dark. "In that case, I need to go out for something. Can you hold things together here?"

Piers shrugged. "As long as nobody transforms into a demon or anything, things should be okay."

"Thank you."

Felix turned and darted out of the house, vanishing into the night.

"Where is he going?" Garet asked.

"I don't know," Piers said. "But I didn't like the look in his eyes."

 

"Roxas..."

He turned over in the bed and opened his eyes. They met with Xion's, which were filled with tears. She smiled.

"Hey, Xion..." Roxas said. "I had a bad dream."

Xion sat next to him and took his hand. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. You're gonna be okay, I promise."

Roxas chuckled, a weak sound, but a comfort to Xion's ears.

"I've been having so many nightmares. Everything since the battle at the base has just been blurs and feelings. There was a strong ringing in my ears."

Axel sat on the other side of the room, obscured from Roxas' vision by a bookcase. He didn't know how Roxas would react to seeing him, and he didn't want to risk upsetting him, due to his delicate health. But he still wanted to hear his friend's voice.

"Roxas..." Xion said. "Do you remember how you got to the tower? Or how you were... turned into a dragon?"

Roxas sat back in the seat and closed his eyes.

"There was a figure. In my dreams... He spoke to me. His form would change, but the shape he took most of the time was a sort of floating rock. With one eye."

Xion was pale.

No. No, not him. Why would he do this to me? He promised to help me...

Is this punishment for failing to keep my end of the bargain? I couldn't stop Alex from hurting Jenna's child... Did he do this to Roxas because of that...?

No. No, Roxas said his memories were messed up from right after the battle at the castle. That was a few weeks before Alex attacked Kalay.

Felix told me not to trust him.

"Hey, Xion," Roxas said. "Can I ask something?"

She nodded. "Of course. Anything."

"Do you love Felix?"

Xion froze.

"Felix...? But that's..."

How does he know about Felix?

"Roxas, how do you know about Felix?"

Roxas turned away from her, and stared at the ceiling with a cryptic expression.

"He spoke to me. He told me a lot of things. A lot of things I didn't want to believe. He said you had forgotten about me. That you had abandoned me for a man named Felix. I didn't believe him. But then he showed me images, pictures so real they had to be true."

Roxas frowned.

"He showed me an image of you and this Felix man, outside a tower in a snowy place. Your lips were locked to his."

Xion opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come.

She couldn't deny that.

"That wasn't... it wasn't a romantic..."

He could never understand that out of context... I kissed Felix to save his life. There was nothing romantic about it.

Or was there?

No, there wasn't.

There was.

"I hadn't just forgotten you, Roxas..."

"You sure weren't thinking about me then."

"I was..."

"Admit it. When you dream, it is Felix who takes you in his arms, not me."

"I-"

"You couldn't care less if I died on that tower!"

"You wanted me to die."

"Then I would be one less concern on your mind."

"ROXAS!"

ROXAS

FELIX

RIKU

RIKU DIED

HE DIED AND YOU KILLED HIM

JUST LIKE ROXAS DIED

DEATH

DEATH MURDER KILL BLOOD PAIN DEATH MURDER KILL BLOOD PAIN DEATH MURDER KILL BLOOD PAIN DEATH MURDER KILL BLOOD PAIN

"The sooner we all die, the sooner you can continue your life here."

No

No

No

No

no

no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

 

Garet sighed.

"Hey, Sheba," Garet said, "Do you think Hama knows when-"

"ROXAAAAS!"

 

Piers, Garet, and Sheba rushed into the room, with Hama following shortly behind them. Axel was standing, frozen in fear. Xion was the same, but backing away from the bed in fear.

Roxas was trashing and convulsing in the bed, foaming at the mouth. His eyes had rolled back in his head. He looked like he was having a seizure.

Until he let out an inhuman growl.

"Roxas!" Xion screamed.

"What the hell is happening to him?!" Axel demanded.

"Everybody back away!" Piers shouted.

Roxas gripped the edge of the dresser next to him, and the wood was crushed under an inhumanly strong grip. His hand, briefly visible, was deformed and clawed.

"No!" Garet shouted. "Not this!"

Spikes burst from Roxas' back, and his mouth opened wider than it should have, his jaw unhinging like a snake. His teeth grew longer, as long as daggers. Bones could be heard shattering, rearranging. His skin was stretching, and tearing open where bones were growing into spikes. No blood spilled.

"Everybody get away from him!" Piers shouted, even though his warnings were unneeded. Everyone was already crowding to the edge of the room.

"Is he turning into a dragon again?!" Sheba exclaimed.

"No..." Garet said. "This is... This is what happened to Luxord!"

Roxas was standing now, though his body was still trashing like someone was trying to tear their way out of it.

And then exactly that happened.

A head burst out of Roxas' chest, a monstrous thing with no eyes. It roared, and Xion screamed.

Roxas' clawed hand grabbed the head in his chest, and stabbed it again and again with his claws. Yellow fluid burst out of the growth in place of blood, and the head twisted around and let out an ear-splitting shriek.

The deformed Roxas screamed in pain, even as the thing in his chest did the same.

Roxas screamed in pain and stepped back, then collapsed against what remained of the bed. The head in his stomach seemed to die, and he stopped convulsing. He twitched feebly a few times.

Roxas spoke weakly, in a voice that was no longer his.

"Xion... I... stopped the-"

And then he exploded.

Piers instantly summoned a barrier of ice, which blocked the torrent of blood.

A few seconds passed, and Piers dissipated the ice. Nothing remained in the room, save for the massive puddle of Roxas' blood, and the trashed pieces of Hama's bed and dresser.

And a small piece of Roxas' hand in the corner.

Nobody moved or spoke for a while. Perhaps they simply did not know what to think after seeing that.

Xion fainted. Garet stepped forward and caught her before she hit the floor.

"Take her to the living room," Piers said. Garet nodded, and did so.

Axel's face was as pale as snow.

"That... he's... is he dead?"

"Yeah," Piers said. "He's dead."

Sheba clasped a hand over her mouth and ran outside, probably to throw up.

Axel stared at the disgusting, bloody mess that had once been his friend. A minute passed with nothing said. Then Axel's expression changed to one of pure rage. He screamed and started punching the wall. He hit the wall so hard, and so many times, that he left a hole in it.

Then he turned and faced Hama. "You! You're a seer, aren't you? Did you not foresee this?!"

Hama shook her head. "As I've already said, I cannot see anything the future contains involving you or the other Nobodies. You are not of this world, and your effect on our reality is unpredictable. If I had foreseen this happening, I would have said something to somebody, to try to prevent it."

Hama added quietly, "I'm sorry."

Axel gave another look to the pool of blood, then stormed out of the house.

 

Felix finally found what he was looking for.

After several minutes of searching, he had located the corridor he and the others had passed through earlier. The one with the pile of smashed rocks.

Felix lit a torch and hung it on the wall nearby. The area was more illuminated than before, and he was able to see better than earlier.

He took the largest part of the rock, and pushed it with all his strength. It rolled to its other side. He took a step back, and stared at it.

"I knew it," Felix quietly said to himself. "I just knew it. That moss on it... It's been here the whole year, hasn't it? Since before Xion came to us."

A dread filled him, one that he had never felt before.

The half-crushed rock before him had a single, dead eye.


	29. Under the Midnight Sun

There was a flash of lightning, and the sound of thunder, and then the rain began to pour down anew.

Axel stood at the outskirts of the town, holding a blood-stained chakram. He did not move, or react in any way, as the rain soaked him through. His red hair stuck to his face, and his green eyes were narrow and cold.

From the darkness Felix emerged. He was walking back towards the town, somber and silent. He stopped when he saw Axel waiting for him.

His being there could only mean one thing.

"The boy didn't make it, then?"

Axel shook his head.

Felix closed his eyes and sighed.

Xion...

Felix opened his eyes and stared back at Axel. The Nobody was unmoving, standing in Felix's way in a manner that said he expected a confrontation.

"It's time we settled this," Axel said coldly. "This facade has gone on long enough."

"Facade?"

Axel glared. "I've seen it. Don't think I'm blind. And I've made my decision."

Felix crossed his arms. "You have, huh? Then tell me. What decision is this?"

"I lied back in Kalay," Axel said. "You can't save Mia from the Organization. Because she's dead."

Felix froze.

"Dead?"

"I told the truth about her coming back and joining the Organization," Axel continued, "But she died again before I joined you."

Felix looked down at the mud at his feet.

Axel smiled cruelly. "It hurts, doesn't it? To have your hope ripped from you?"

How long has it been since I even thought about Mia? I've been so focused on Xion and her quest that I had forgotten...

"I guess I've moved on."

Axel blinked. "What?"

Felix looked up.

"You've come here looking for a fight, huh? Then fine!"

 

"What a mess," Piers sighed, as he stared at the disaster site that had once been Hama's bedroom. The bed and dresser had been smashed to pieces during Roxas' frenzy, and the entire room was stained red with blood. He didn't even know where to begin to clean it.

"We're really sorry," Sheba apologized again to Hama, only for the seer to shake her head.

"You could not have expected this to happen," Hama said. "That's my job. It's infuriating, not being able to see what's going to occur. I'm not used to surprises."

"Poor Xion," Sheba said sadly. "To see her friend die, especially in such a horrible way... I can't imagine how she's going to deal with all this."

"Don't forget that Venus Lighthouse was only a few days ago as well," Piers said. "The girl has been having a rough time of things, that's for certain."

"We should have this cleaned up before she wakes up," Sheba said. "She doesn't need to see this again."

Garet returned from the spare bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him.

"How is she?" Sheba asked.

"Asleep," Garet said. "Not peacefully, but that's to be expected."

"I see..." Piers said. "Garet, during Roxas'... whatever that was, you said that you-"

There was a sudden explosion that rocked the entire house. The windows burst open, powerful winds sweeping through the room.

"The hell?!" Garet exclaimed.

The sounds of people screaming could be heard from the village.

"The villagers are in danger!" Piers exclaimed. "We must help them!"

"But what about Xion?" Sheba asked.

"I will remain here and watch over her," Hama said. "I can defend her if someone should attack."

"Very well," Piers said. "Sheba and Garet, follow me!"

The three Adepts rushed outside, where a powerful thunderstorm had started. Heavy winds whipped around, so strong they were knocking people off their feet.

"Sheba, can you do anything about these winds?" Piers asked.

Sheba glowed for a moment, then shook her head. "It's not Psynergy, and its too chaotic. I would only make things worse."

"Somebody must be doing this, it is far too powerful to be natural!" Piers said. "We have to find them!"

"I can't see anything!" Garet shouted.

"There!" Sheba said, pointing to a tall building in the center of town.

Standing on the roof, seemingly unconcerned by the storm around him, was a black-cloaked man with a spear in each hand. He was instantly recognizable as a member of Organization XIII.

"We can't fight him here!" Piers shouted over the winds. "There are too many civilians. We must lure him somewhere more remote."

"I got this!" Sheba said as she ran towards the center of town, using her Psynergy to keep herself standing against the powerful winds.

"Garet!" Piers said, turning to him, "Go find Felix. I'll back up Sheba!"

"You got it, Captain!" Garet said as he ran off.

"I hope I'm making the right decision here," Piers muttered to himself. He then drew his sword and followed after Sheba.

 

Felix drew the Sol Blade and charged. Axel raised his chakram and deflected the blow, then summoned the other in his hand and slashed Felix across the shoulder with it.

Felix took a step back, and attacked Axel with an overhead swing. The Nobody blocked the stroke with his chakrams, but Felix had been counting on that. He twisted his sword and both of their weapons went flying away.

Before Axel could summon his chakrams back, Felix tackled him, and they both started rolling down the hill.

They exchanged blows, their duel turning into a brutal fistfight. They landed in a pool of mud, with Felix on top of Axel. The Venus Adept took full advantage of his position, delivering a series of blows to Axel's face. Axel squirmed, trying to break free, then screamed in pain as blood ran from his nose and stained his lips.

"You stole Xion from me!" Axel spat.

"You stole Mia from me!" Felix spat back.

Felix's hands tightened around Axel's throat in a grip of iron, and the Nobody struggled uselessly beneath him.

"Bastard!" Felix spat, "I should have killed you months ago! I should have killed you back in Loho!"

Axel's back arched up against his will, and his vision grew hazy. He felt like his head was about to explode. He could hear the sound of his own heartbeat, impossibly loud in his ears.

Heartbeat...?

I thought I didn't have a heart.

I don't.

I never did!

"Rrrraaagggghh!"

Axel kicked Felix in the chest, sending his opponent stumbling back and gasping for air. He jumped to his feet and summoned his chakrams back into his hands.

Felix coughed, and slowly looked up at Axel, his eyes a merciless glare.

"Why would you lie about Mia?"

Axel wiped the blood from his face. "I did it for Xion's sake. Everything I did was for her! And look at how she's repaid me. She turns to you for comfort! She risks her very life to save you! You stole Xion from me, and now that Roxas is gone, I have nothing left!"

"Boo-hoo," Felix spat.

Axel screamed and attacked. Felix, unarmed at the moment, caught Axel's swings at the wrist with each hand and countered by kicking him several times in the chest. Axel fell back, and Felix pressed him attack, kicking Axel again.

Axel dropped one of his chakrams, and Felix caught it before it landed in the mud. The Nobody jumped back through the air, clearing some distance. Felix threw the chakram, and Axel hastily dodged, the blade missing his neck by inches.

The flying chakram hit a tree some distance away and was stuck fast.

Axel started summoning his fire magic. Felix doubled back and located his Sol Blade, pulling it out of the ground where it was stuck.

Axel gathered an inferno around him, and started hurling fireballs at Felix. The Venus Adept weaved back and forth, dodging each blast as he closed the distance between them. At Felix drew close, he raised his sword to strike...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you two doing?!"

They stopped. Garet had arrived, short of breath.

Felix looked back and forth, trying to find the words, "He was..."

Taking advantage of his distraction, Axel threw one of his chakrams at Felix. The Venus Adept spun around, managing to catch the blade before it decapitated him.

"Felix, what's going on?!" Garet demanded.

"We're having a bit of a disagreement at the moment," Felix told Garet, not taking his eyes of Axel. "What is it?"

"Back at the village... there was an attack," Garet said. "This guy with a bunch of floating spears showed up and started going after people."

"Xaldin," Axel muttered.

"Is Xion okay?" Felix asked.

"I don't know," Garet said. "She fainted after the thing with Roxas. Hama's been taking care of her. Piers and Sheba went after the spear guy."

Felix hesitated.

I need to get back there...

"We'll settle this another time," Felix said, sheathing his sword and turning away from Axel. He started towards Garet, but took no more than three steps before a circle of fire rose up around the area, blocking his way.

Felix spun back around. Axel was glaring at him, bloodlust in his eyes.

"We will settle this right now."

 

Xion awoke suddenly.

She opened her eyes and sat up. The first thing she saw was Saix, holding an unconscious Hama by the throat. He dropped her, and she hit the floor with a heavy thud.

"Follow," Saix ordered in his usual cold voice.

She was too deep in despair to offer any resistance. Like a puppet, she rose and followed him out.

 

Felix and Axel clashed again and again, as rain poured down on them. The wall of flames Axel had summon stood strong, even under the rainfall. Garet tried several times to break through, desperate to help Felix in some way, but the flames were unwavering. Even approaching them was impossible, they stood like walls of Axel's fierce aggression, just daring one to try to get by.

Not that Felix wanted to escape. Several weeks of mistrust and frustration were manifesting as violence and rage.

Felix was a skilled fighter. Yet Axel was just as skilled. They matched each other's attacks perfectly, and the battle was effectively a stalemate.

They both realized this, yet were each too stubborn and angry to back down.

"What am I looking at here?!" Garet exclaimed. "Are you two trying to kill each other?"

"I'm doing what I should have done long ago!" Felix replied, not taking his eyes off Axel as sword met chakram. "It was a mistake to ever trust him!"

"It was my mistake to ever leave Xion with you!" Axel shouted at him.

Axel dodged an attack of Felix's, and spun, knocking Felix off balance with a leg sweep. Felix fell on his back, and before he could rise, felt Axel's boot savagely crushing his wrist. His hand released his sword on reflex.

After closing them in pain, Felix opened his eyes to find the point of Axel's chakram before his eyes.

"Felix!" Garet exclaimed, helpless to aid him from behind the curtain of fire.

"I should end you right here and now," Axel said through his teeth.

"Then why haven't you already?" Felix asked, "Why even hesitate now, and give me an opening?"

"There is no opening! And this isn't hesitation!" A vein was prominent in Axel's forehead. His face was flushed red, and his eyes were afire with a fury Felix had never seen in him. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you!"

"Xion."

Axel blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you don't want to accept it," Felix said calmly. "But she isn't just your friend anymore. She isn't tied to you or Roxas, not since she came to Weyard. It was part of her declaration of independence."

Axel's mouth tightened.

"But that doesn't mean she doesn't care about you," Felix continued. "Or that she doesn't care about Roxas either. The three of you... you're a family."

"Are they seriously having this discussion now?" Garet muttered under his breath.

Axel looked away from Felix's gaze, almost guiltily, "I just... There's been a wedge between us. It felt like... like she was turning to you for comfort. It felt like there was nothing I could do for her. Ever since Tolbi... She's been spending all her time with you, coming to you every time she was upset..."

Felix hesitated.

"That's because..." he took a deep breath. "That's because she loves me."

Axel stared at Felix a moment, then cast away his chakrams and got off of the Adept. He sat down next to him, and sighed tiredly.

"I know," Axel said. "I've seen it. We all have."

Felix sat up. "She loves you, too. And Roxas. She loves all of us in different ways."

"I'm so confused..." Axel said. "I don't know what to do. I've always had a goal. First, there was Kingdom Hearts. Then there was the takeover of the Organization. After that, it was protecting Roxas and Xion. After everything fell apart... I was grasping for straws. Mia, the Essence quest, revenge... And now that Roxas is gone, I just... I don't know anymore."

Axel looked down at the ground dejectedly. "I feel so empty inside."

"This is ridiculous..." Garet muttered, "One minute they're trying to kill each other, the next they're reciting lines from a soap opera..."

"I know how it feels," Felix said, "After the Lighthouses were lit, I was lost. I didn't know what to do with my life, and in my frustration, I pushed away the people closest to me. There were so many possible answers, but none of them were right... I thought revenge against Alex was the solution. And I found the more I chased that idea, the more it hurt the ones I loved. And it hurt me, too..."

"Your answer..." Axel said, "Have you found it?"

"Not yet. But I think I'm close."

Felix turned to Axel. "You haven't lost everything. You still have Xion. You can protect her."

Axel shook his head. "All I do is cause her pain. I can't be her knight... That's your job. I have to leave. I know it will hurt her... But I can't just stay around here and provide this empty comfort to her."

Felix rose, and wiped blood from his lips. "If you feel that's right... Then go."

The curtain of flame dropped from around them, and Felix started to walk away.

"Just make sure you're not running away. I've made that mistake, too."

As Felix and Garet left him there, the rain died away, and the moon emerged.

 

"Do you know what it is to be a Nobody?"

Xion offered no answer, not that one was expected.

"Nothing. It is to be nothing, in every way that can be."

Saix stepped past Xion, overlooking the crater, left behind by the Anemos.

"We were always nothing. We sought to be something, but you denied that of us. Ironic, that a puppet could unravel us so thoroughly with one simply act of defiance."

Xion said nothing.

"But you were never really one of us," Saix said. "You were a Replica. Even in the eyes of people who should not be, you were an aberration. So what does that make you?"

Xion said nothing.

"You are something, all right," Saix said. "Still a puppet, yet one that refused to play its part. Like a tool that gained sentience and refused to do what it was created for. You were never meant to think, or feel, or speak. Your only point in existing at all was to carry out our will."

Xion said nothing.

"You ended up hurting us," Saix continued. "All of us, in different ways. Those of us you hated, we ended up scattered and broken. The ones you claimed to 'love'... one is dead, and the other is barely functioning even as a Nobody. Do you know what that means?"

Xion said nothing.

"You are an infection," Saix spat. "A curse. A disease. You bring harm to everything around you. It is the price for you existing in the way you have chosen. The universe is trying to justify your presence, and it is doing all it can to accommodate to the strain of letting something that does not exist... exist."

Xion said nothing.

"Roxas was recovering, wasn't he? Indeed, he would have recovered fully and been back to his usual self... had it not been for your being there. Because of you, the universe could no longer contain Roxas. Your infection had spread to him. He was warped into something horrible simply because he was so close to you."

Xion said nothing.

"The same will happen to Axel, in time," Saix said, staring up at the moon. "Eventually, all of us. All your new 'friends'. They will die too, because of you."

Xion said nothing.

"You see this crater?" Saix asked. "Imagine how easy it would be to simply throw yourself into it. You wouldn't feel any pain when you hit the bottom. You would hit the ground so hard, you would die instantly. You would be free of the pain. You would be reunited with Roxas, in the nothingness beyond. Axel and all your new friends would be spared. Your friends are the thing you care most about, right? If you truly did 'love' them, you wouldn't want them to suffer and die. You would sacrifice yourself, and all would be right again. The universe would fix the hole you left, and they wouldn't even mourn you, because they would not remember you even existed."

Xion said nothing.

"The choice is yours," Saix said. "I will not make it for you. I'm not like you – I don't take the lives of others into my hands. I don't make selfish choices that hurt other people. Think about it. Everything you have done so far has been at the cost of others. For once, you can do something truly selfless. Do it, puppet. Kill yourself."

"...not a puppet..."

Saix blinked.

"What was that?"

"I am not a puppet. I am not a puppet. I am not a puppet."

"But you are," Saix insisted, his lips smiling cruelly. "You always were. You were just a tool that was created for one purpose. A good tool should do its job. Imagine the chaos that would occur, should an ink pen decide it deserves to exist. Or if a gardening hose should decide that it has feelings. Or if a coffee mug were to fight against its owner? You are those things. A tool created to do a single thing, that never had the right to make choices in the first place. You were never a person. Only a puppet."

"I am not a puppet. I am not a puppet. I am not a puppet."

"You are a puppet!"

"I am not a fucking puppet!" Xion screamed.

The Soul Eater appeared in her hands, and she drove it through Saix's chest.

There was silence for a moment. The scarred Nobody blinked, a confused and betrayed expression on his usually stoic features.

"But... why?" Saix said quietly. "Lunos... I thought this was what you... Why does she...?!"

Saix closed his eyes as he slid backwards off the sword, falling over the edge. His body faded and vanished, retaken by the void, erased completely before he would have hit the ground.

Xion dropped the Soul Eater and fell to her knees, crying into her hands.

 

Felix and Garet made it back to Hama's house just as Sheba and Piers were.

"What happened?" Felix asked. "Where is the spear guy?"

Sheba shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. He just fled from up. He was like... sitting on one of those spears of his, and flying on it like a broomstick. It was one of the strangest things I've ever seen. He didn't even try to fight us, though... he just ran away."

"My guess is that he was trying to lure us away from town," Piers said. "Once we realized this, we rushed back here."

"But that's so pointless..." Felix muttered. "What could he possibly gain by drawing us away unless there was another..."

Felix's face grew pale.

He ran past the others, bursting into Hama's house and making a beeline for the spare bedroom. He froze when he saw Hama on the floor.

Felix quickly checked her pulse. "She's alive..."

But Xion isn't here. The other one must have taken her.

Where?

The others followed him into the room.

"Hama!" Garet exclaimed.

"What happened?!" Sheba asked. "Where is Xion?"

"I don't know!" Felix shouted in exasperation. "We have to find her! There must have been another member of an ally of some kind. That's who must have taken Xion!"

"I'll stay here and help Hama," Piers said. "And you three can split up and look for her. That way you can cover more ground quickly."

"Good idea," Felix said. "Sheba, Garet, hurry. We might not have much time."

 

Xion sobbed a few last times, then rose and stared at the chasm where Saix had fallen to his death.

"Sora can't wake up if I'm here..." she said to herself in a faint voice. "I was absorbing Roxas' strength just by being around him... Maybe Saix was right. Maybe I am cursed."

My decision to run away was made on a whim... A pipe-dream that miraculously turned out to be plausible.

But it was still a selfish decision.

Riku had been counting on me. I betrayed him by running away, and it made us enemies. That ended in his death. At my hand.

Demyx died trying to protect me.

My being in Weyard resulted in Luxord being sent to find me. Had I not been here, he would not have died.

Mia... someone who had nothing to do with all of this... died because of a trap that the Organization set. A trap that wouldn't have been there in the first place had I not come to her world.

Jenna's baby... I was supposed to protect her. It was my one responsibility in return for my new life... and yet I failed to keep my promise. The poor child didn't even get to live.

"All this blood... it's on my hands."

What right do I have to live when they all died because of my selfish choice?

Saix is the only one who deserved to die out of all of them. Everything that came out of his mouth was bile... but was it lies?

Perhaps I truly cannot exist without bringing pain to others.

"If I can spare them of that pain..."

Axel... Garet, Sheba, Piers...

Jenna and Isaac. Ivan... and even Kraden.

Felix.

Will they all die too?

I don't want to see any of them die. Everyone keeps dying...

Because of me.

"I would be quick... Painless."

I would die the moment I hit the bottom.

It would be like falling asleep. I could close my eyes as I fell.

The people I love... they would be spared.

Sora could finally wake up.

I could see Roxas again.

Tears began to fall anew. "Really, it is for the best."

She took a few steps back, ready to jump. She was going to do this, nothing would stop her.

My first selfless act.

A voice called to her on the wind.

My imagination.

She took off at a run. She closed the distance in a few seconds, and ran straight over the edge. For a moment, she felt suspended in the air.

"No!"

She felt a hand join with her own, and she did not fall.

 

"Xion..."

She fell into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder.

He saw the Soul Eater on the ground nearby, its blood-red blade shining under the moonlight. That, and the absence of the Organization member who had taken her was all the explanation he needed.

"Felix..." she said softly, "How did you find me?"

"I'm not sure," Felix said, "I just knew you would be here. I could feel it."

"Felix, I..."

"I'm not going to let you do it," he said. "Not now. Not after everything you've suffered to get here."

"I've suffered...?" Xion drew away from him, her eyes shining with tears. "I'm the only one not suffering! Everything I do seems to get people hurt. I... I ran away because I thought I had the right to exist, but... I was wrong... Everything I thought was wrong and I'm just getting everyone killed..."

She broke down after that. He held her, as she cried and gripped the edge of his cloak. All he could do for her at that moment was give her someone to cry to.

"You've saved my life more than once," Felix said, "In fact, you saved everyone back in Tolbi. You've done a lot of good since coming here, and that more than makes up for anything bad that happened because of it."

"But Roxas... The Wise One turned him into a dragon. He did that because I didn't keep my end of our bargain... He told me to protect Jenna's child, and I failed to do that. That was my punishment... except Roxas was the one who suffered for it..."

Felix drew her away and shook his head. "You're wrong. It wasn't the Wise One who did any of that. It was Lunos. He was the one who transformed Roxas, and he was the one who killed him, too. Just like he killed Luxord."

Xion's eyes widened as she thought about this, but she returned to her downcast expression just as quickly.

"It doesn't change anything," she said. "I'm still the cause of all of it. Everything bad that has happened... It all traces back to me. To that one moment when I decided to run away."

"You're right," Felix said.

Xion backed away, staring at Felix, surprised to hear him say that.

"Everything does trace back to that moment," he continued. "All the bad things that have happened, they happened because you made a different choice, and you threw off the natural order."

He looked her in the eyes. "And all the good things that have happened... They all happened because of that choice you made."

Xion scoffed. "Yeah? Like what? It's all been so bad... Nothing good has happened."

"You're wrong," Felix insisted. "A lot of good has happened. Look at what we have here. What do you think it would do to us if you just threw yourself off a cliff? How would Garet and Sheba feel? How do you think I would feel?"

"You wouldn't need to bother with me anymore!" Xion exclaimed, turning away. "You'd be relieved of me and all my burdens!"

"Losing you would be a burden I couldn't bear!"

"Please... just let me end it. I can't save anyone. Not even myself."

"You came to me when I was lost," Felix said. "You saved me."

She turned, frustrated. "No, I-!"

And stopped.

Felix was close to her now. His face was only a few inches from her own. Their noses would be touching if either of them leaned any closer.

Xion could feel herself start to blush.

"Felix, I..."

He leaned in, and pressed his lips to hers.


	30. The Beginning of the End

There were things that man was never meant to see.

Deep within the void, a powerful force of rage emanated in his direction. Unspeakable fury.

His master was angry.

It scared him.

He ran through the forest, darting between trees, as fast as his legs would take him. Despite his efforts, he could sense his pursuer closing in. With each step he took, his enemy took two.

He knew he could not get away.

So he turned, and held his two lances at the ready. The other four appeared, hovering by his side. There was no sense in hiding them, the man would know of them.

Xaldin waited, tense, and ready to strike.

He was greeted by a spinning disc of fire. The deflected the projectile with a flourish of his lance, and it ricocheted and hit a tree. The chakram burned into ash and vanished.

Axel emerged from the trees, holding his other chakram. The one he had thrown a moment ago appeared back in his hand with a burst of fire.

“Going somewhere, Xaldin?”

Xaldin glared at Axel. He sent his spare lances flying in Axel's direction, then moved in for his own attack.

Axel knocked each lance aside with his chakrams, then jumped into the air as Xaldin closed in. Axel kicked the first spear aside, then landed and locked the other spear in a parry with his chakrams.

“Where is Saix?” Axel demanded, “I know you were working with him here!”

“He is dead now,” Xaldin said, “Killed at Xion's hand.”

Axel was caught off guard.

Saix is dead...? Then my plans for revenge are...

Yet another failure.

Xaldin took advantage of Axel's distraction. He kicked the Nobody and pulled out of the parry. He took a few steps back, holding his two remaining lances, and summoning the other four to his side.

“So what is left then?” Axel asked.

“Nothing,” Xaldin replied, “Organization XIII is no more. Our plan for revenge is failed. And my new master has grown... angry.”

Axel tilted his head to the side. “You new master?”

“The Great Destroyer. The God-Emperor of this world. Lunos.”

“Lunos!” Axel tightened his grip on his chakrams. “He has spoken to you?!”

Xaldin grinned. “Many times. He has shown me great things. Power and accomplishments that make Xemnas feeble in comparison. He is the true beginning. The only end. He has shown me this.”

Xaldin's smile faded and he began to tremble. “But Saix betrayed me, and he betrayed our master. He told me it was Lunos' will that we should make Xion destroy herself. But... it was not. And now he is angry.”

A tear fell from Xaldin's eye. “I don't understand... what have I done wrong? Why is he angry at me?”

Axel watched, dumbfounded at what he was seeing. Xaldin, of all people, reduced to tears like a scolded child.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

Xaldin glared at him. “Shut up! You could never understand! You have no idea what its like! He loved me! And I... I hurt him... I'm not worthy! I'm not!”

“You're an idiot.”

“You're the idiot! Screw you, Axel! With your stupid hair, and your snarky comments!”

Axel sighed. This was going nowhere.

“What is Lunos after?” he demanded.

Xaldin smirked. “He will return. And he will choose the time, place, and manner of his return. And he will force all those who have denied his glory into submission. And Alex is the key.”

Axel blinked. “...Alex? What does that man have to do with Lunos?”

“Everything. Alex is the beginning, and the end. He is the key.”

“That doesn't make any sense!” Axel exclaimed, “Quit being so vague and talking like a religious nutcase! Just tell me what's going on!”

“It's already in motion,” Xaldin said, with a lopsided smile, “You cannot stop it now. Nothing can stop it now.”

Axel scratched his head. “Damn. What am I going to do with this guy?”

“No!” Xaldin screamed, clutching his head, “No, my master! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't make me kill myself!”

Axel backed away cautiously.

“No!!!”

Xaldin's six spears flew around, and swarmed on Xaldin like fired arrows. The first five penetrated his chest, and he screamed. The last one went through his head, and he was silenced. Xaldin's body vanished before he hit the ground.

 

The others picked up on some tension between Felix and Xion when they at last returned to Hama's.

Xion was clearly upset. That was to be expected, with what had just happened to her. She was quiet, morose, and withdrawn. But there was more to it. She seemed to be trying to avoid eye contact with Felix.

And so was Felix.

Xion sat at the sofa, hands in her lap, and avoiding conversation. Felix was pacing the room, with his hands in his pockets. At one point, they did in fact make eye contact. Xion blushed and looked away, while Felix turned his gaze to the floor.

A thousand ideas filled Sheba and Garet's heads.

Nobody was foolish enough to mention the obvious tension up aloud. Except Garet, but a discreet kick in the shins from Sheba silenced him before he could blurt it out.

The other Adepts simply waiting for Felix to say something. Nobody spoke. Nearly an hour passed in this way.

“I guess he's not coming back,” Felix finally said.

“Axel?” Piers guessed.

Felix nodded. “We had... a falling out. He said he was leaving. For Xion's sake, I decided I would give him a period to return if he changed his mind.”

Sheba glanced at Xion, concerned for her friend. If losing Axel, so soon after Roxas' death, was upsetting her, she gave no reaction.

For once, Sheba was tempted to break her rule of not reading her friends' minds.

“It is time to decide out next move,” Felix said, “Apparently there were two Organization members posted in this town. The spear-wielding man who attacked the town...”

“Xaldin,” Xion said quietly.

“Yes,” Felix continued. “And the man who caught us off-guard back in Kalay.”

“Saix.”

Felix glanced at her for a moment, before awkwardly looking away. “Xion has taken care of Saix. I don't know about the other.”

“He's dead, too,” Xion said sadly.

“How do you know this?” Piers asked.

She shrugged. “I dunno. I can just feel it.”

Another awkward silence took the room. Hama, who had remained silent the entire time, spoke up.

“In that case, you would have no further business here in Contigo, would you?”

Felix shook his head, “No. Why?”

“Please take this the right way, as I have no intention of being rude,” Hama said, “But I would greatly appreciate it if you left soon. Trouble seems to follow you around, and I don't think my house can take anymore abuse.”

Felix chuckled. “Of course. Thank you for being so hospitable in the first place. I am sure Hammet will fund any repairs you need.”

“He owes me anyway,” Hama said.

“Then we'll go back to Kalay for now,” Felix decided, “I think everyone needs a break, and I want to check on Jenna and the others. Is everyone okay with that?”

Piers, Garet, and Sheba all nodded.

“Regarding Axel...” Felix said after a moment of thought. “He can easily contact us through Hama. We'll be in Kalay for at least a few days. A messenger bird can reach us, and we can warp back and get him. If he wishes to return.”

Nobody answered that. It was clear Felix only said that for Xion's benefit. Everybody could tell Felix didn't want Axel back.

“That's about it, then,” Felix said, “I'll be waiting outside. Everyone meet outside when you're ready.”

Felix stepped outside, and the others started moving around the house, packing their things. Hama sat on the sofa next to Xion.

“I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you earlier,” Hama said to her.

Xion shook her head, “It was Saix. It's understandable that he caught you off guard.”

“I guess I'm used to being prepared for everything,” Hama said sadly. “Your arrival kind of threw me off.”

“I'm sorry about that.”

“Don't be. I value the opportunity to have met you. You truly are a unique person. Don't let the circumstances that brought that to be tell you differently.”

Xion smiled sadly. “I understand. I think I have realized something today. I've come to terms with who I am, and I'm not going to question it anymore. I'm not a perfect being... and I'm okay with that.”

Hama nodded. “Don't let the bad things discourage you. Even when things are at their worst, remember that there is always hope.”

“I know. Thank you, Hama. I'll value what you told me.”

“Goodbye, Xion.”

 

Axel watched from the cliff, the same cliff Saix and Xaldin had used just a day ago, as Felix and Xion and the others gathered at Hama's house and warped away.

“I'm sorry, Xion,” he said, “I can't help you anymore. I can't even help myself. I failed Roxas, and I failed Mia. I won't let the same thing happen to you. You'll be safer in Felix's hands.”

Axel turned away from the village and wandered back into the forest. The beacon of Jupiter Lighthouse was just beginning to disappear behind the glow of the rising run. Axel thought back to the sunsets in Twilight Town, and all the moments he shared there with Roxas and Xion.

Moments they would never have back.

He felt guilty. Of a great many things. Leaving Xion. Failing Roxas. Failing Mia.

Axel wandered through the forest, aimless and without purpose. He didn't know where he was going, or if it even mattered anymore.

“Does anything even matter anymore?” he wondered aloud.

Hello...?

Axel stopped. Had he just heard a voice?

Hello...?! Is someone there?

Not aloud... but in his head?

If someone is there, please answer me!

He could not deny the desperation in the voice. “I-I can hear you.”

Silence.

A long and heavy silence.

“I heard you,” Axel continued. “Can you hear me?”

The voice did not answer him. The pleading had stopped, so they must have heard him.

So why did they not answer him?

“Who are you?” Axel asked, “How is it I can hear your voice in my head?”

Silence. Perhaps it had just been a figment of his imagination...

Axel...

The voice spoke with hesitation. An unease at making itself known.

“You know me?” Axel asked, “Who is this? Your voice sounds strange... Like my own internal thoughts, but not quite...”

Axel... I... I'm so desperate at this point, I said I was willing to turn to anyone. But I don't know if I can trust you...

“Why not?” Axel asked, before mentally slapping himself. Why would anyone who knew him trust him without hesitation? “Never mind. Who is this?”

Silence.

“You don't...”

It's... it's Namine.

He froze.

“Namine...” he repeated the word, testing it on his tongue, “I haven't heard that name in a while. How have you been?”

Silence.

Is... Is that supposed to be a joke? The last time I saw you, you threatened to punch a hole in my chest.

“I apologize,” Axel said, “I guess I could have phrased that better. And I'm also sorry for everything that happened in Castle Oblivion.”

You... you sound different. You don't sound as sure of yourself as you used to. You sound... sad.

“I lost Roxas,” Axel told her, “A lot has happened since CO.”

Thinking of Castle Oblivion reminded him of the Keyblade bearer. “You have Sora with you, don't you?”

He could tell Namine was hesitating. Finally, she answered.

Yes. But he's still asleep.

Indeed, Sora would still be sleeping. Until both Roxas and Xion ceased to be, he would stay that way.

An idea suddenly came to Axel. If he were to turn Sora back into a Heartless, then that might restore Roxas. It might even work with Sora still asleep. In fact, that would probably make it much easier. All he had to do was get to Namine, and judging from the way she was talking, that could be very easy if he came to her under the guise of friendship...

No. He couldn't do that. That was the old Axel. He had been through too much, lost too much. He had developed a conscious. The guilt would consume him, if it even worked.

He felt he had to help this girl if he could.

“Namine, I don't know if you're aware of this, but Riku has died,” Axel said, “He was with you, right?”

Namine answered him after a pause.

Yes, I know. I felt it. That was... I was alone. I've been alone for days. I don't know what to do...

Her voice sounded pained. Axel felt a pang of sympathy for her.

“Where are you?”

Namine hesitated again.

The mansion. The abandoned one, in Twilight Town.

Axel cursed under his breath. He had forgotten. He couldn't leave Weyard. The Dark Corridors had stopped opening for him ever since he arrived in Kalay. The same thing had happened to Xion and the other Nobodies as well.

It was strange, because Axel had easily left Weyard after the events in Loho, and his brief trip to Mercury Lighthouse. It was only after he spent more than a day there that he was trapped.

He explained his dilemma to Namine, to which she listened quietly and patiently. When he finished, and she didn't answer, he feared their telepathic connection had been severed.

“Namine, are you still there?”

Yes. I was just thinking.

“Do you have any ideas?”

I might. From how you described it, I think I might know what is keeping you from using Dark Corridors. It might be possible to overcome it.

Axel smiled. “What do I have to do?”

 

Once they were back in Kalay, Felix was overjoyed to find Jenna waiting for them at the palace gates, having been informed of their arrival by a guard. His sister rushed over and gave everyone in the group a big hug. The atmosphere was significantly lifted from the sombre mood of the past several days. Even Xion smiled.

They made their way inside the palace, where Isaac, Ivan, and Kraden were waiting. Many greetings were made, and everyone split off into groups to talk. A small feast and party were started up.

Felix, refusing to let himself be swept up in the playful mood, ended up in a corner talking to Kraden.

He told Kraden about the return trip to the Anemos Inner Sanctum, and the statue and warp circle they found behind the area where they had fought Dullahan. Kraden listened with rapt attention.

The scholar shook his head when Felix's tale was complete. “Sometimes I fear you may be making these things up to torment a poor old man. In the case of Lunos, I had hoped it was true.”

“Why do you say that?” Felix asked, “Have you learned anything more in your translations?”

“I translated the rest of the runes,” Kraden said, “But things only grew more confusing with each canto I translated. The details about Lunos started to get contradictory, especially regarding his intentions.”

“Contradictory?”

“One canto stated that Lunos proudly showed his face to any who saw him,” Kraden said, “Another said that he wore a mask, and never took it off. One canto said that Lunos fought any challengers with a powerful sword. Another said that he never lifted a finger or shed a drop of his enemies' blood, and let those under his rule do the fighting for him. One passage proclaimed him immortal, while another said that he aged like any man. I'm starting to doubt if he ever existed, for fictional figures in history are known for such inconsistencies.”

“He has to exist,” Felix said, “He took over Luxord's body. He has been screwing with things since Xion showed up. Possibly sooner. But I do get the inconsistencies part... none of this adds up.”

Kraden noticed the troubled look in Felix's eyes. “What are you thinking?”

“I'm thinking that something big is going to happen soon,” Felix said, “Alex is up to something... The leader of Organization XIII still hasn't made himself known... And Lunos? This is all connected somehow. I can feel it. Xion's arrival triggered something much bigger than any of us, and I feel like we're missing one piece of the puzzle before it all clicks in place.”

Felix sighed. “Or perhaps I'm just tired.”

“You certainly look like you could use some sleep,” Kraden said, “Just what have you all been up to? Didn't you have another guy with you when you left?”

“I'll explain everything when we have the full meeting,” Felix said. Across the room, Jenna laughed at something Garet said. “How has she been? Sheba told us about... what Alex did to her.”

“She was confused at first,” Kraden said. “There were holes in her memory. But she got better in a few days.”

“You haven't told her about... the baby?”

Kraden frowned, a rarity for the lively scholar. “Sheba told Ivan and I... but we didn't have the heart to tell her. Isaac doesn't know either. They're just too happy, we couldn't take that from them. But we fear Jenna may not be able to conceive another child, after the damage Alex did.”

Felix clenched a fist, but he kept his voice level. “I'm sure they will. They'll have a son, and he'll look just like Isaac.”

“That's uncharacteristically optimistic of you, Felix,” Kraden noted with a twinkle in his eye.

“I just have a feeling,” Felix said, before yawning, “I really am tired. I think I'm going to go to my room and take a nap.”

“Go,” Kraden said, “Things will be fine without you for a few hours,”

“I'm sure,” Felix muttered as he left, “Just wake me when the fire starts.”

As Felix left the dining room, he noticed Xion wasn't with the others. It didn't surprise him. She would need time alone to grieve for Roxas.

As he passed through the palace hallways, he thought about all the things that had changed since he had first come there. He thought of how much he had grown in only six months.

I would have died at the bottom of that lake if it hadn't been for Xion. Jenna would never have found my body, she would never have known what had happened to me. How could she say that she's done nothing but hurt her friends?

With his hand in his pocket, he could feel the small sample of rock he had taken with him. A piece of the now-dead Wise One. He had chosen not to mention it to Kraden yet. Or anybody.

He would tell them when they gathered later.

He yawned again as he reached his bed chamber, the same one as during his last stay. He had been informed that he would be sleeping there, and his small bag of items had been brought ahead for him.

“Convenience,” Felix muttered. He opened the door and stepped inside.

Xion was waiting for him, sitting on his bed, and watching him enter with a hesitant expression. She had her black cloak on, pulled close over her body.

“Xion?” Felix said, blinking, “What are you doing here? This is my room.”

“I know,” she said, “I was waiting for you.”

“Waiting...?” His tired brain didn't seem to be processing her words fast enough.

“I wanted to ask you something” she continued, “Something I couldn't ask you around the others. Back... at the crater. Why... why did you kiss me?”

Felix couldn't help but blush at the memory. He could see Xion was as well, which wasn't helping. “I just... I'm not sure. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, I guess.”

Xion shook her head. “It wasn't. I could tell, because you hesitated. You stopped, for a brief moment, before you moved in.”

“I didn't know if you would pull away. Sometimes girls don't react well to that sort of thing.”

“I didn't know how to react at all,” Xion said, “You took me completely by surprise. Of all the things I thought someone like you would do to talk me down from a ledge, I never would have expected... that.”

“Someone like me?” Felix asked, with a tilt of his head, “What do you mean by that?”

“Well...” Xion hesitated, now on the defensive, “You're mean. Not all the time. But sometimes. And you're cynical. And you're always focused on the task at hand, to the point of ignoring your teammates' feelings in favor of the mission. You always think things through, sometimes way too much. But most of all... you seem to hate the idea of romance. And what you did back there was... it was like something out of a bad romance novel.”

“This from the girl who once doubted she could feel emotions?” Felix said, “Little Xion, you have grown up.”

“Exactly,” Xion muttered, looking down at herself through the black cloak, “I've changed. In more ways than one. That's what made me wonder.”

Felix sighed, and scratched his head, thinking, “Well, if we really have to break this down to its roots, I can tell you that I thought it would be... symbolic.”

“Symbolic?”

“When Alex almost killed me back in Mercury Lighthouse, how did you save me?”

“By making you drink the Hermes' Water.”

“By kissing me.”

Xion blushed again. “That's not... It wasn't like that though. You weren't considering suicide, you were actually dying! I had to do something. It was more like mouth-to-mouth than anything else.”

“There were other ways you could have gotten me to take the water,” Felix said, “You could have dunked my head in the fountain until I had no choice but to drink it. You could have gotten a syringe and injected it right into my veins. In fact, you could have just splashed it on my wounds, and it still would have healed them.”

“But that's not the point,” Felix continued, “The point is that you kissed me, and saved my life. I was... returning the favor.”

“I see,” Xion said, seemingly disappointed, “So that's it, then?”

“That's it.”

“You kissed me... for the sake of symbolic irony?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then.”

Xion rose and moved towards the doorway, which Felix was still standing in front of.

“I'm sorry I bothered you with this,” she said in a flat voice, “I just be going now.”

He moved out of the way, and she left. The sound of the door closing behind her echoing like an accusing cry in Felix's ears.

He collapsed on his bed, exhausted. He closed his eyes. Long minutes passed.

But he found no sleep.

His stomach was twisted and he felt disgusted with himself.

 

The Great Healer of Contigo almost jumped at the sound of the stone doors of the sanctum sliding open.

It had been a slow day for the healer, as Wednesdays tended to be. Only a single person had come for aid, a villager who had believed himself poisoned, but really had simply eaten some bad chips. Other than that, the lone Healer had been without adventurers to lend his services, able to use his abilities solely in the battle against the sin of boredom.

The appearance of the man who entered did not put his already weary mind to ease. The man was tall, sharp-eyed, and with fiery hair that looked the the backside of a hedgehog. 

Still, despite his surprise, the Great Healer did not forget his important lines, having had years to practice them.

“Welcome, weary wanderer. What aid do you seek?”

“I need you to purify me,” the man said.

The Healer blinked. “In what way? There are a variety of services I have available...”

“In every way,” said the red-haired man, “A very old and very powerful spirit has been infecting me with dark energy for several months now. I need you to do every cleansing ritual and healing rite you can. I need to be as pure as white snow. That way, I can once again touch the Realm of Darkness and escape this planet.”

“Huh,” the Healer said, “Well, in that case, we'd better get started.”

What an interesting Wednesday it would turn out to be, for the Great Healer of Contigo.

 

For the fiftieth time, Felix rolled onto his other side. It felt like his bed was full of lumps. He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping to finally get some sleep.

All he saw behind his eyelids was the dejected and broken look in Xion's eyes.

“Dammit,” he muttered.

You feel guilty.

“Of course I feel guilty. That clearly wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. I just broke that girl's heart... for the third time this week!”

You're the one who is really Heartless. You're the one who is really a Nobody.

“I know. Now can I please get some sleep?”

Why did you hurt her, Felix? Why do you push everyone away?

“Because I only hurt the people I love.”

Hah! The irony is strong with this one.

“I don't care if I'm a hypocrite. I don't care if I can't even take my own advice. I'm too tired to care about anything right now.”

You lie to yourself as much as you lie to her.

“Shut up.”

Make me.

“I can't. You're a disembodied voice in my head.”

I am the voice of your conscience, Felix.

“You're annoying.”

Xion loves you, Felix. You know this. You can admit it to Axel, of all people, but you can't admit it to yourself?

“I know she does.”

Then why do you hurt her?

“Because that's what she signed on for. That's what you get, being around me. I tried to keep her at a distance, but she...”

Wormed her way in with her Moe Power?

“I don't know what you're talking about, but I swear if you don't shut up, I'll...”

Why, Felix? Why can't you just admit it?

“Because there's nothing to admit! I'm empty inside, okay? I don't feel anything. You yourself said I was heartless.”

Aww, is somebody upset? Are you mad because Obi-Wan is holding you back?

“...the hell?”

Admit that you like the girl so we can get over the brooding.

“No!”

Admit it!

“No!!”

Admit it!!

“No!!!”

Avenge me!

“Okay, fine! I love her, alright? I love Xion. There, are you happy?”

Avenge... wait, you love her? Cool. I was just supposed to get you to admit you were crushing. Yeah, I think my work here is done.

The disembodied voice faded away.

“That was all in my head, wasn't it?” Felix asked himself, “It was. I'm so fucked up.”

Felix sighed and buried his face in his pillow.

“I love her...” he repeated, “I love her... I love her... I love-”

He sat up suddenly.

 

Xion couldn't remember how long she had been crying.

Time didn't matter to her anymore. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. Nobody had come to check on her. She would have sent them away even if they had.

It just hurt so much.

Everything seemed to be going wrong at once.

Demyx and Riku. Roxas' death. Axel leaving. Felix not loving her.

The kiss... the kiss had given her hope. But it had just been another false promise. Another empty gesture.

Everything was wrong. Things had been going so well, right up until Venus Lighthouse. That was the beginning of the end. That was where everything started going downhill.

Nobody was treating the same anymore. They watched her warily, as though they expected even the slightest thing to reduce her to tears. They deliberately avoided mentioning Riku, or Roxas, or even Axel now. They were handling her with care, and she absolutely hated that.

The worst was how they pitied her.

She couldn't blame them. She was an emotional wreck. She didn't know how she would be able to act around somebody like herself, either. But it would be easier, just a little easier, if Garet were to crack his usual jokes, or if Sheba would take her aside to talk about boys, or if Piers would give her some advice.

Everything was different now.

If change was supposed to be a good thing, why did it hurt so much?

She felt like she had lost everything. She couldn't possibly turn to Felix again... not after humiliating herself like that...

“I'm such an idiot...” she sobbed into her pillow.

“No, Xion...” she heard Felix said, “I'm the idiot.”

She sat up. How long had be been there? She hadn't even heard him enter.

“Felix...” she said softly, before remembering what had just happened, “W-what is it? What do you want?”

“I came here to say I'm sorry,” he said, moving to her side, “And to tell you something.”

More pity. She was so tired of the pity. She wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks, knowing it would do nothing to improve her appearance.

“Felix, I don't want...” she tried to find the words, “You don't have to take care of me, and you don't have to feel sorry for me. You shouldn't have to feel guilty for not feeling the same way as me. That's not what I would-”

He cut her off by moving in and kissing her on the lips.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she did not struggle. Xion fell backwards onto the bed, bringing Felix down with her. He deepened the kiss as they lay there, and he ran his fingers through her raven hair.

After nearly a minute, he broke the kiss. They were both short of breath. He did not move from atop of her.

“Felix...” she said.

“I do love you, Xion,” he said, “I just... I was afraid of losing you, so I shut my feelings away.”

“But...” Still, she was hesitant, “You didn't kiss me until after I got this... mature body. If I hadn't grown... would you not feel this way?”

He shook his head. “I didn't fall in love with your appearance, Xion. I fell in love with... your heart.”

She smiled, and kissed him back. In any other situation, saying cliched words like that would have drawn laughter from both of them. But to Xion, having a heart meant a lot more than it did to most people.

And never in all her life, did she feel more strongly with that heart, than that moment.

 

Axel took a deep breath.

“I'll be honest, I really don't feel any purer,” he said aloud. “All that chanting and holy water... do you really think it could have freed me from Lunos' influence?”

At least for a while. An aura of energy should fill you that will ward off any malevolent forces. Hopefully this will include Lunos, and he will be unable to keep you from the Realm of Darkness. All we need are a few hours, really.

Axel cracked his knuckles. “Well, let's hope this works, then...”

He raised his hand, and concentrated. He had cast the spell a thousand times, so it had practically become second nature to him. But if it didn't work... he would be stuck in Weyard, possibly forever.

“Dark Corridor...”

With a swooshing sound, a black vortex appeared before him.

 

When Felix and Xion appeared the next morning for breakfast, everybody immediately realized that something had changed between them. However, unlike last time, it seemed to be a change for the better.

They were trying hard not to show it, but everyone could see it. Even Kraden, who was typically blind to the subtle social cues of the younger folk. Not only did they show up together, which was an immediate giveaway, but they might as well have been holding hands, for how closely they walked.

They sat next to each other. This was nothing unusual. Xion usually sat next to Felix. But they were sitting... just a bit closer... than usual.

Of course, the biggest giveaway was the constant exchanged glances, as well as the smiles and blushes that went with them.

Garet was clearly trying not to blurt anything out. Sheba was practically glaring at him to keep silent.

Eventually, Felix seemed to realize that everyone in the room was watching them. So he sighed and said,

“Yes, we're together now.”

Everybody spoke at once.


	31. We're in this Together

Xion was not used to the feeling of someone else's arms around her when she woke. It was strange, different, but ultimately comforting. She found it was easier to, rather than rise and begin her morning routine, to simply close her eyes and curl up into Felix's embrace, and let herself return to sleep for another hour or so.

But still she was in pain.

Every time she felt she warm wave of love taking over her, she cursed herself and forced sobriety upon her heart. Images of Roxas and Riku would find their way into her mind. In her dreams she still saw Riku, pinned underneath her and stabbed by his own blade. In her nightmares she saw the twisted and mutated form of Roxas, screaming in pain as his body morphed, split, and finally exploded in a shower of blood and guts. She could imagine Sora, now one step closer to awakening, but still missing the crucial final piece he needed to return...

Her.

What pained her the most was how easy it would be to forget these things. She wanted so badly to simply close her eyes and let Felix hold her and forget the trail of blood and death behind her. The bloody trail she had carved herself to get to where she was now, safe and comfortable in Felix's arms.

For what right did she have to be so happy when others had died to make it possible? Their deaths were not meaningful. None of them were... Luxord, Demyx, Mia, Riku, Roxas... how many more would die before she was through? The only death she did not regret was Saix's, but even he had managed to haunt her with his final words... that she was the cause of the pain and suffering of those she loved.

While she no longer felt that the universe itself was bringing these things to be, she still could not deny to herself that a few of the deaths could have been prevented. And she knew yet that the journey was not yet over. There was still Mars Lighthouse, where Xigbar was no doubt waiting. Xemnas would have to be dealt with some day. Alex was still around, and his intentions were still unclear. If Sora ever did awaken, there was the possibility that they could end up as enemies.

And of course, the mysterious Lunos... the one who had turned Roxas into a dragon, and ultimately killed him. He would have to pay for that.

Things were far from over. Much more blood would have to be shed before the battles were through. And she knew... she could feel it in her heart... at least one more person close to her would die before it was over.

What if it was Felix?

The thought of losing him terrified her. He was so fearless in combat, it bordered on suicidal at times. She had already almost lost him several times before. A final battle between he and Alex was inevitable... and Alex was immortal. If Felix were to die...

It would just be too much for her.

It was strange, she realized, that one could be both happy and sad at the same time. While she no longer doubted that she had a heart, there was still much about it she did not understand.

Xion moved slightly, careful not to awake Felix, and went to the nightstand, where he had placed the Teleport Lapis.

It was time to get a few answers.

Garet, for such a 'lazy' guy, always seemed to be the first one up in the mornings. Therefore, Sheba was not surprised when she saw him already seated at the kitchen, engrossed in a bowl of cereal and a Sudoku number puzzle Kraden had introduced to him.

"Mornin'" Garet muttered without looking up as she passed by him, headed for the pantry to fix her own breakfast. She mumbled something incoherent in response. While Sheba prepared her own breakfast, she realized how odd it was that Hammet did not have servants to do this work for you.

Ten minutes later, a more-awake Sheba was conversing with Garet, who couldn't seem to figure out the trick to the the puzzle, and so had given up on it for the moment in favor of giving Sheba his full attention.

"Xion wasn't in her room last night," the Jupiter Adept said, her voice going quieter in case anyone overheard. "I think we both know where she was."

"With Felix," Garet replied, hiding a grin. "She slept in his room. You don't think they're... you know... Do you?"

Sheba shrugged. "Maybe. There's no way to know for sure, and its not really our business. We can gossip about them all we want, but it would be inconsiderate to intrude on them."

Garet nodded. "Of course. Still though... do you think Felix would?"

"I dunno. Felix doesn't seem like the kind of person who would pressure a girl into that, especially not someone like Xion. Still, you have to admit Xion's been a lot sexier ever since Venus Lighthouse, despite how she tries to hide it."

"Really, you two?" Ivan muttered, joining them. "You can't find anything better to talk about besides Felix and Xion's relationship?"

"What else is there to talk about?" Garet asked.

A worried frown appeared on Ivan's face. "I have a bad feeling. You must have seen it, right? The look in Felix's eyes..."

"He's happy," Sheba pointed out. "Happier than he's been in a while, and that's a very good thing."

Ivan shook his head. "Watch him when Xion leaves his side. There is fear in his eyes. The meeting is happening today, and I dread what he's got to tell us."

"Have you had any more visions?" Garet asked.

"Almost every night," Ivan said. "But I couldn't tell you what they mean, if they mean anything at all. They're strange... surreal. I see conflicting events, potential futures that could not possibly overlap. I think I understand now why my sister was so adamant in not telling us what was waiting in Mars Lighthouse."

"Because if we had known, we wouldn't have fought Felix and Jenna's parents, right?"

Ivan shook his head again. "It's not just that. It's everything. Telling people the future is a bad thing, because the future is not set in stone. There are certain things that will happen no matter what, and the very matter of reality will rearrange things if they don't happen a certain way. These are usually the bad things, or course. My vision of Alex killing Jenna's baby... I told you all about it, and look how badly things turned out. Half of us almost died in the attack, and we all ended up forgetting about the baby to begin with. That was the universe trying to adjust for a paradox."

"So even if you did know what was going to happen, you wouldn't tell us?" Garet asked.

"Jenna's baby was a little paradox," Ivan said, as he prepared himself a cup of coffee. "Xion... she's a really big one. There's only one potential future to be found, and a bunch of different ways for us to get there. Most of them are really bad. Every potential future where I step in and try to change things for the better, or tell you guys anything that could do so, results in emptiness. That's the universe hitting a brick wall, and having to erase something out of reality altogether in order to function properly. In every instance, this is Xion. It's... extremely stressful knowing these things."

"Then why are you telling us?" Sheba asked.

"Because I feel like I'll explode if I don't get this off my chest," Ivan said sadly. "Sorry, but I had to tell someone."

"So... is Xion going to die?"

Ivan shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. It's about a fifty-fifty deal. The thing is... in most potential futures where she lives... she comes to wish she had died."

Sheba and Garet exchanged grim glances.

"But there is some hope," Ivan said with the shadow of a smile. "Every time a future involves Alex, or an Organization member, all I see is static. I have no idea what's going on in those, so it might not be so bad."

Sheba and Garet didn't exactly look relieved.

"Well, I'm going to go for a walk," Ivan said, taking his cup of coffee. "Cheer up, you guys. We're meeting at noon in the study. I'm sure you'll love the news Felix has for us."

After Ivan strolled out of the room like he hadn't just told them those things, Garet dropped his spoon with a flick of his wrist and crossed his arms over the table, resting his chin on them morosely.

"Well that was one hell of a buzz-kill," he mumbled.

"I kinda wish he hadn't told us that," Sheba said. "How are we supposed to get motivated now. He pretty much just told us that Xion has a fifty percent chance to survive this, and everything is going to suck no matter what we do."

"Hasn't it always been that way?" Garet asked. "My group stops Saturos and Menardi... they turn out to be good guys. Everyone bands together and restores Alchemy... and Alex becomes an immortal. I run off to Imil and find Felix is still alive... then Mia dies and it's my fault."

"Aw, poor baby," Sheba said, not cruelly but tenderly, as she pat Garet on the back. "Don't worry, I'm sure everything will be okay."

"Unless Ivan is very wrong... a bittersweet ending is the best we can hope for."

 

Felix looked around the study, taking note of everyone there.

Isaac, Garet, Ivan, the empty seat where Mia should have been, himself, Jenna, Sheba, Piers, Kraden, and Xion.

That was everyone.

"Alright," he said. "It's been a few weeks since we last gathered. A lot has happened. Most of you know this already, but I'll review to ensure everyone is caught up."

Felix started with the events in Tolbi, telling everyone about their encounters with Iodem and his assistant Blados. The rediscovery of Babi in the suspension tank, and his death, which Kraden bowed his head during. The events of Venus Lighthouse, including Xion's battle with Riku, the death of Demyx, Blados' attack, and finally Riku's death.

Then he moved on to Contigo. Xion's sudden aging, the discovery of the hidden chamber in the Anemos Inner Sanctum, the battle with Roxas atop Jupiter Lighthouse, and his later death. Xion killing Saix.

"You guys have been through some crazy stuff," Isaac said.

"Well here's where things get really fucked up," Felix said, the lack of humor apparent. "Afterward, I returned to Jupiter Lighthouse on a whim. I found something there... something that changes everything. In advance, I'm very sorry Xion. Both for not telling you earlier, and for what this may do to you."

Xion, having been watching the floor during Felix's story, looked up suddenly.

Felix reached into his pocket and pulled out the small stone shard he had been carrying. He set it on the table, where everyone could see.

"A rock?" Garet asked.

"It's a piece of the Wise One," Felix said in a flat voice. "He's dead."

Everyone in the room gasped, Xion included. They all stood up and started asking questions at the same time, filling the room with cacophonous chatter. Felix, Ivan, and Xion were the only ones still in their seats.

"Quiet!" barked the unexpected command of Kraden. The Adepts were all silent, and they turned to Felix for answers.

"Felix," Kraden said, a deadly serious look on his face. "Are you certain that this stone came from the Wise One?"

"There can be no mistake," Felix said. "Even dead, I could feel massive energy within him."

"Explain what you saw exactly," Kraden said.

Felix did so, telling them about the pile of stones, and how he had initially thought it was a cave-in, and how he had returned later, and flipped the stone to find an eye on it.

Kraden sat in his chair, running his finger through his beard, and frowning. "What does this portend...?" he asked himself quietly.

"Felix..." Xion said. "Do you know... when he died?"

Felix looked away from her. "As a Venus Adept, I can sense things about the earth around me. When the Wise One died, he became an ordinary boulder. Therefore, I could identify how long he had been like that. It's hard to know for certain... but I think he died around the time of the Golden Sun event."

The room grew uncomfortably silent. Everybody in the room knew what that meant, but nobody wanted to say it. If the Wise One had died around the time of the Golden Sun, then any appearance of him after that would have been an illusion.

Including the appearance in Xion's dreams.

"There are too many unanswered questions here," Kraden said. "How did the Wise One die? How did the body end up in Jupiter Lighthouse?"

"I don't know anything about the body," Felix answered. "There is only one real answer to the other question. I was near the Wise One once, in Sol Sanctum. No human could match his power. So who could possibly be strong enough to kill such a being?"

"Lunos," Piers said quietly.

Felix nodded sadly. "Indeed, I came to the same conclusion myself."

"So this means, what?" Xion asked, standing up. "That everything I've been doing this whole time was wrong? Collecting the Essences, trying to save everyone? It was all set up by Lunos? That it was actually Lunos who appeared to me and told me those things?"

"We don't know that for sure," Felix said. "I've been thinking this over since we returned to Kalay. Just because the Wise One was destroyed does not necessarily mean that it was not he who appeared to you. He could still exist in a spirit form, if it was just his body that was slain."

"But that's just a theory," Xion said.

"So was my guess about how long he has been dead. I could just as easily have been wrong about that."

"We really know very little about Lunos," Felix continued. "We know he has some minor degree of control over events on this world, and that he once tried to take over the bodies of Luxord and Roxas, but both times was unable to hold his form. His intentions are a mystery. This is not enough to make any educated decisions on."

"Why did the possession attempts fail?" Isaac asked.

"I can answer that," Kraden said, rising. "In both cases, it would seem the body Lunos was trying to seize either could not contain his massive power, or that he was repelled by the original host in defiance."

"Luxord was about to tell us something when he died," Xion said quietly. "The same thing happened to Roxas. Lunos killed them to keep them quiet."

"Roxas was turned into a dragon first," Sheba pointed out. "If Lunos was responsible for that, what reason could he have had?"

"A sick joke," Felix spat. "Just like it was last time, when the Wise One did it."

Xion nodded, contempt in her eyes.

"Roxas was clearly trying to fight the possession," Piers said. "He might have known it was coming. It's a shame we couldn't save him, he likely could have told us so much about Lunos."

"I remember..." Xion muttered. "The last thing Roxas told me was that he saw the Wise One in his dreams. But... he didn't say if it was the Wise One who transformed him. He did say that he form changed, but it was usually a rock with one eye."

Everyone in the room contemplated Xion's words.

"That could mean anything," Piers finally offered. "We can't be sure that's evidence that Lunos was impersonating the Wise One, because in dreams, why would anyone need to restrict their form? It could just as well have been the Wise One."

"Indeed, we lack enough evidence to make a firm decision," Kraden said. "But no matter what we do, we must proceed with caution. We know now that Lunos is indeed active, and he has his sights set on us."

"So what is out next step?" Isaac asked.

Felix turned to Xion. "It's up to you."

The small girl sighed and thought for a moment. "Well... I want to finish what I started. Even without Roxas, even without the Wise One there to give me what he promised. There's so much uncertainty... so much doubt. But as long as I can do one thing... I want to do it. I have three Essences already... I want to take that last step and get the final one."

Felix nodded. "Very well. We'll go to Mars Lighthouse. A small team would be ideal, but after last time, I'm not taking the chance of another mistake."

"Xigbar will be there," Xion said. "He's the only member left, aside from Xemnas himself."

"What abilities does he have?" Felix asked.

"He fights with guns. He keeps his distance, and fires at you from afar. He has the power to bend space, so he can warp around. The hardest part of fighting him would be actually hitting him."

"Then our team should be built around speed," Felix decided. "Myself and Xion will go, of course. As well as one of the Jupiter Adepts."

"I can-" Sheba began, before Ivan interrupted her.

"I'll go," Ivan offered, standing up. "I've been cooped up in this castle the whole time. I could use the exercise."

Sheba stared at him, looking like she wanted to say something, but she did not. Garet had a similar expression of apprehension.

"Okay, then Ivan will be joining us," Felix said. "Anyone else want to volunteer?"

Nobody seemed to relish the thought of returning to Mars Lighthouse, but ultimately, Garet agreed to go, rounding the group out to a solid four.

"Very well," Felix said. "Let's get this done with, then."

 

Felix, Xion, Ivan, and Garet materialized a mile or so away from Mars Lighthouse, in a location Felix had memorized from his previous trip. They were already prepared for the cold weather, having swapped out their clothes for warmer variants, but the sudden blizzard caught them all by surprise.

"Ah, now I remember why I didn't want to come here," Garet complained.

"We're not stopping in Prox!" Felix said. "We're going straight to the lighthouse and back, got it?"

Everyone nodded.

The march to the lighthouse was long and agonizing. Felix had explained earlier that if was safer to warp a comfortable distance away from something, lest they risk teleporting inside a wall, but everyone found themselves wishing Felix had warped closer to the tower, including Felix himself. For most of the trip, they were walking through a good four feet of snow, and Garet's offers to blast the snow away with fire were refused by their leader on the grounds of attracting Xigbar's attention, if he was watching.

"This is bullshit!" Garet grumbled, uncharacteristically irritated. "I thought the weather around here was supposed to get better after the elements were set back in balance, or whatever it was we did?"

"They did," Ivan said. "It just happens to be winter right not in this part of the world."

"Stupid low luck rating..." Garet muttered.

Xion, who was morosely walking beside Felix, looked up at him and spoke.

"Felix... can I ask a question?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Am I a selfish person?"

He looked at her for a while, and shook his head.

"No, you're just doing what you think is best."

She bowed her head again. He couldn't tell if his words had helped her or not, but she did take his arm and hold it close, a display of affection unseen before then.

It was enough to make him smile.

The Mars Lighthouse gradually drew near, and before they knew it, they were upon it. Through the thick haze of the snowfall, the outline of the tower's entrance began to take shape, and with it, the shape of a man standing with his arms crossed.

"Hello," Xigbar said.

Weapons were drawn at once. Xigbar did not move, simply raising his hands in an offer of surrender.

"Chill out, I'm not looking for a fight," he said. "Just waiting for you guys to show up. And man, you took your time. I've been waiting here for months."

Xion, with the Soul Eater in her hands, slowly approached the one-eyed Nobody. Felix followed behind her, with Garet and Ivan behind him.

Xigbar looked Xion up and down with his single eye, examining her matured body like a piece of meat. "Poppet, you've filled out," he said with a lecherous grin.

Felix resisted the urge to run up and punch him in the face.

"What do you want?" Xion asked.

Xigbar shrugged. "I dunno anymore. I've just been chilling here, waiting for you guys to arrive. I'm guessing you've already dealt with the others? Who all's dead?"

"Luxord," Xion said. "Demyx. Xaldin. Saix. And Roxas."

Xigbar whistled. "So that just leaves the two of us, old spiky-head, and the Superior. We're an endangered species, Poppet. Then again, you could say that there's really only three of us left, rather than four. After all, you never really were one of us."

Xion frowned at that.

"You've been busy, though," Xigbar continued. "That sword you've got there... that's no Keyblade. And not to mention the obvious physical changes, you have a very different presence. You're not all submissive and bland like you used to be. I can see how quickly you would jump over here and kick my ass. Heck, the very look in your eyes is different. I'd be proud if I had a heart."

"Enough of this," Xion said. "Are you going to fight us or not?"

"Fight you? What would that get me? Nah, I think I'll sit back and watch this one out."

"Then get out of the way, so I can do what I came here to do."

"Sure, on the condition that I can watch," Xigbar grinned.

Xion and Felix exchanged glances.

The interior of Mars Lighthouse glowed red with a warm radiance, a welcome relief from the freezing blizzard outside. Felix remembered the place well, and he did not enjoy the revisit.

Thought they did not have far to walk to reach the Aerie, the process felt long and awkward. Xigbar walked in front of everyone else, his hands in his pockets, whistling to himself like he was taking a trip to the market. They watched him warily, prepared for treachery at any moment. Xigbar seemed aware of this, but he gave no indication that he cared either way.

They reached the aerie at last, after using the warp pad in the dragon room to teleport through. The aerie was just as Felix remembered it, with the snowy winds blowing hard, and the bright red glow of the beacon shining through.

Xion went ahead and approached the beacon, taking a few hesitant steps forward.

She looked back at Felix, and he gave her a reassuring nod.

Xion turned back to the red sphere of energy, and she reached out and ran her fingers through-

CHAOS

PAIN

RED

FIRE

EYES WATCHING ME

THE MOON

HE WAITS

THE STAR IS NEARING

Xion cried out and stepped back. She tripped, and fell backwards onto the floor of the lighthouse. She did not move, but her hand was twitching of its own volition.

Forgetting Xigbar, Felix ran to Xion's side and held her.

"Xion?! Xion!"

"What are you freaking out over?" Xigbar scoffed. "She passes out all the time."

Ivan moved like he was about to step forward, but he stopped himself and remained where he was. The young Jupiter Adept looked down at the floor, deliberately ignoring the scene before him.

"Is she okay?" Garet called out to Felix, not moving from his position, in order to watch Xigbar.

Felix gently caressed Xion's cheek, and her eyelids fluttered open. There was confusion in her eyes, but they quickly found Felix's, and she smiled.

"Sorry," she said softly.

"Don't ever apologize, okay?" he said. "I hold nothing against you."

Felix helped her to her feet. Garet let out a sigh of relief, and Xigbar rolled his eyes. Ivan still wouldn't look up.

"How do you feel?" Felix asked. "Did it... work?"

Xion considered herself. Finally, she shook her head.

"No. I'm still not a full person. I have all four Essences now, but... well, the Wise One isn't here to finish the job."

A look of sorrow and defeat filled Felix's eyes. He looked down at his feet, and sighed in resignation.

"Xion... I'm sorry."

She smiled and playfully slapped Felix on the head. "You hypocrite. Right after you told me not to apologize. It's okay. I knew what to expect before we even came here, remember? I was just finishing the job."

He looked up at her. "But still, after all your hard work..."

"It wasn't going to happen instantly, right? We needed the Wise One to finish the job, but he's not here. That doesn't mean it's over. All we need to do is find someone else to do, that's all. We have the pieces, we just need someone to put them-"

"LOOK OUT!" Felix screamed, shoving her aside.

A blur flew down, striking the spot where they had just been standing. Luckily Felix had pushed Xion away, and jumped back himself, so neither of them were hit. Across the aerie, Xigbar shouted something, drew his arrowguns, and fired several shots at the newcomer. Garet, mistaking this for an attack on Felix and Xion, produced his battleaxe, and swung it at Xigbar. The Nobody simply disappeared, imploding in a spacial teleportation, and reappearing some distance away.

Ivan did not move.

A few seconds passed, and the chaos died out. A man in white robes stood with his back turned to everyone. He had not dodged or even blocked Xigbar's attacks. They had simply struck the back of his cloak to no effect.

"You...!" Xigbar growled, pointing one of his guns at the man.

Felix rose and redrew his sword. Xion did the same.

Alex turned around, staring at Xigbar with his one remaining eye.

"You may as well put those away, Braig," Alex said. "You and I both know those weapons will not touch me."

Xigbar glared.

"Hello, Felix," Alex said impassively, turning to the Venus Adept now. "And you too, Xion. It's been a while."

"Fuck you," Felix spat.

Alex blinked, but said nothing. He turned his attention to Xion instead.

"You have two choices, Xion. Death, or acceptance. I came here to deliver the former to you."

"You failed."

"And in your evading my attack, you took the choice out of my hands," Alex continued. "I was only allowed to strike you unaware. A prolonged battle would be troublesome for all parties, therefore I will give you the option of simply falling upon my sword." He held his ebony blade forward, offering it to Xion.

Xion knocked it away with the Soul Eater. "You're an even bigger fool than I thought if you think I'd just give up."

Alex smirked. "Indeed, it is in your nature to pursue the things you desire."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Felix demanded. "Alex, what are you up to?"

"Unfortunately, you have refused many chances at resolving this in the proper way," Alex said, raising his sword. "There can be only one, after all. And you are the imitation. Therefore, you are the one who must die!"

"No!" Felix screamed.

Alex attacked, moving at such a speed that he knocked Felix aside in a single blow. Xion parried with the Soul Eater, which saved her from an otherwise-lethal blow, but still it knocked her back, sending her flying yards away and nearly over the edge of the lighthouse.

Xion rose as quickly as she was able, but Alex was simply too fast. His ebony sword came down upon her in swift, frenzied strikes, and Xion did everything she could to block them. She was able to hold him off, but she gained no ground in the fight, and it was clear that it took every ounce of her skill just to keep up with Alex, who was showing no signs of fatigue as he delivered the merciless barrage.

Felix picked up his Sol Blade, and he saw Garet running towards the brawl with his massive axe held over his shoulder. Felix started running towards Xion and Alex himself, but a cry from Ivan stopped them in their tracks.

The small Jupiter Adept ran over to them, shaking his head. "You can't interfere. Things have to work out a certain way here, or else..."

"Or else what?" Felix demanded.

"Or else Xion will die."

Felix looked back and forth between Xion and Ivan, torn. "You can't expect me to just sit here and watch this and do nothing to help her?!"

"You have to," Ivan said. "None of us can get involved in this, or someone will die."

The Jupiter Adept turned to the aloof form of Xigbar. "But you can."

Xigbar frowned, and shrugged. "Why not? At this point, what difference does it make?"

Xigbar took his two arrowguns, and merged them together, forming a single, rifle-like weapon. He lifted the gun up and looked through a scope at the battle across the aerie.

"He said my weapons can't hurt him, eh? We'll just see."

Xigbar fired a single shot, which streaked across the aerie and struck Alex in the back of the head.

Alex stumbled, thrown off-balance by the attack. Xion took advantage of the opportunity by running forward and stabbing Alex in the chest.

Blood sprayed out, hitting Xion's face. There was an animal rage in her eyes. Alex looked up at her, his expression changing as he saw her's.

"I see now," Alex said. "Yes, this will accomplish nothing. In this case, we must go. Together."

Alex grabbed the blade of the Soul Eater and pulled it further into his chest. Unable to let go of the blade, Xion was pulled with it. Alex grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her forward, until she was nearly an inch away from him.

The look of rage never left Xion.

"Let's go. To Lunos."

And then they both vanished.

Nobody spoke. There was a heavy silence on the aerie, as the three Adepts stared at the spot where Alex and Xion had just been. Felix stepped forward slowly.

"Xion..."

And then he turned and confronted Ivan.

"What was that? Was that what you foresaw? Did you know that was going to happen?"

Ivan nodded hesitantly. "It's... It's very hard to explain... But I knew there were only two outcomes in this situation. Either... that would happen... or you and Garet would have interfered, gotten killed, and Xion would have fought Alex to the death. I... decided her getting taken would be better than three deaths."

Felix stared at Ivan for a moment, taking in what he said, before turning back to the spot where Xion had vanished. He fell to his knees, not in tears, but with a look of hopelessness in his eyes.

"This is why you volunteered," Garet said. "You were talking about this earlier today. Different potential outcomes. You wanted to come with us, in order to make sure with exact event played out properly."

Ivan nodded.

"Sheba volunteered first," Garet continued. "What would have happened if she had come instead?"

"Xion, Felix, Sheba, and yourself... all dead at Alex's hand."

Garet swore under his breath.

"I'm sorry, guys," Ivan said, looking down at the floor in shame. "I wish I could tell you these things, but... I understand now why my sister never got personally involved in these things. Seeing the future... it's a curse."

"So what happens to Xion after this?"

Ivan shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't foreseen that far yet."

"If you did know," Felix muttered. "You couldn't tell us anyway. You can't tell us any of the things you see, just like you didn't tell us this. So even if you did know, you wouldn't tell us. Just like Hama never told us what would happen when we lit that beacon, even thought she knew the whole time." Felix pointed at the Mars beacon as he spoke. "You have to keep the future to yourself."

Ivan nodded somberly.

"We can still save her, right?" Garet asked.

Ivan's brow furrowed in consternation. "We can try. I don't foresee any immediate reason why we can't. I can't say for sure if the chances of success are any good, but we can always try. We have that much, at least."

"Fine, then we can do that!" Garet said, drawing hope from the possibility. "Where has he taken her?"

"I think that much is obvious," Xigbar said, joining them. "He's taken her to Lunos."

Felix rose, turning around to face Xigbar. "The city of Anemos..."

"Of course," Xigbar replied. "Alex has been in Lunos' thrall for quite a while now. And Lunos doesn't seem to like Xion, for whatever reason. So Alex is going to kill Xion in front of his master."

Felix clenched his fists. "Like hell I'll let that happen."

"How do you know this?" Garet asked. "How do you know about Alex, or Lunos, or any of this for that matter?"

"This is all connected, kid," Xigbar said. "All of it. Lunos, Alex, Organization XIII... You're just out of the loop."

"Then explain," Garet said. "Put us back in the loop."

"Not yet," Xigbar said, grinning. "I'm not the guy you should be asking these things. Don't worry about understanding it all. Worry about saving the girl. That's what you people care about, right? Then concentrate on getting to Anemos first."

"But we can't do that!" Garet exclaimed. "The portal is sealed."

"Then unseal it, knucklehead," Xigbar sighed. "You'll need a Keyblade for that. I can't help you with that. Luckily, I don't need to, because you already have one."

"We do?" Garet asked.

"Yup. The thing about Keyblades is that they may not look like giant keys. But they all have some things in common. Powerful weapons. Unique. Heartless are vulnerable to them. And you can open doors with them. Tell me, do you have any weapons that match that criteria?"

Felix's hand tightened around the hilt of the Sol Blade.

"There ya go," Xigbar said. "Just unlock the portal with that, and you're good to go."

The Nobody turned and started to walk away. "I'll be waiting for you by the portal."

"Why are you helping us?" Felix demanded.

Xigbar stopped, but did not turn around. "I dunno if you can call it 'helping', per se. We just happen to not need to kill each other right now. I've been stuck here for months with no way of getting back, and there are only four members of our group still living. Giving you a few nudges in the right direction can't hurt, and I may even gain something out of it."

"You sure you don't just want to save Xion?"

"Poppet?" Xigbar laughed. "There never was any 'saving' that could be done for her, because she was never a person to begin with. At least to me, anyway. I used to see someone completely different when I looked at her, and I don't now. So I guess you could say that she's grown. But that won't mean squat if you don't hurry up with your preparations, because as soon as that red star in the sky passes behind the moon, Lunos will wake up. And I've heard he's not a morning person."

And with those sarcastic words, Xigbar warped away. And the three Adepts found themselves looking up at the sky, where there indeed was a red star, faintly visible behind the moon. It would likely only be a few hours before it vanished behind the moon completely.

 

Isaac wasn't comfortable with the idea, but the decision was ultimately unanimous. All seven Adepts would go on the trip to Anemos, taking with them every weapon and trick they had at their disposal.

Kraden would be remaining behind, as the old sage could only get himself killed in the fierce battle. He told them every little thing he could think of regarding Lunos that he had found in his translations, though ultimately they were no better off than before. Kraden refused to say goodbye, likely because he didn't want to admit that they may not make it back, but still there were tears in his eyes as they gathered outside.

The six other Adepts stood in a circle before Felix. Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Jenna, Sheba, and Piers. The presence of his sister bothered Felix, but he knew he could never talk her out of it. Still, he presented the possibility.

"Remember, this is a volunteer mission," he said. "I'm not forcing any of you to come. If anybody wants to leave, you can go back inside, and I won't hold it against you. In fact, I recommend it." He met Jenna's gaze while he spoke.

Nobody moved. So with a sigh, Felix accepted that he was likely leading all of his friends off to die. He forced back tears at the thought. He would have much preferred to go alone, and he would have, had Garet and Ivan not already known what the situation was.

"Felix," Jenna said, moving up beside him. "You don't have to do it alone."

He blinked. Had she just read his mind...?

"You take a lot on yourself," Jenna continued. "You always have. We know you would have lit all four lighthouses by yourself if you could have. You wore a mask when you returned to Vale, because you didn't want to get anyone involved. But we're family, and we'll always be there for you, whether you want it or not."

"We may not always agree on things, but I'd gladly follow you into battle any day," said Isaac.

"I don't know how this is going to end," Ivan said. "But I'll be there to see it no matter what."

"Always have to save the girl, right?" Garet said. "Lead the way."

"Xion brought you out of your funk," Sheba said. "That alone is reason enough to risk our lives to save her."

"I value your friendship more than any other that I have met in my long life," Piers said. "There is nobody else I would rather spend my final moments with."

"This isn't a suicide mission, Felix," Jenna said. "We're all with you. We'll make it through this together, just like we always do."

Felix bowed his head, truly holding back tears now. "Thank you, everyone."

 

"You took your time," Xigbar said, as the seven Adepts entered the chamber.

The massive dome was the same as before, with thousands of magically-charged torches bathing the room in light. The huge statue of Lunos glared down at them, an unwelcome reminder of what awaited them on the other side.

Felix drew the Sol Blade. "You'd better be right about this."

"I'm about eighty-percent sure," Xigbar said with his trademark grin. "Just point it at the circle. Instinct should handle the rest."

Felix did so. For a while, he felt nothing. Then, an energy began to radiate from within his chest. It traveled down the length of his blade and shot out of the tip, magnetically drawn to the center of the ornate circle.

The teleport pad lit up and began to pulsate with Psynergetic energy.

"Interesting," Xigbar muttered. "I had my doubts about an incomplete Keyblade actually working, but it would seem everything is fine."

Xigbar marched past Felix and, without another word, stepped onto the circle and disappeared.

"He's in a hurry," Garet observed.

"What do you think is on the other side?" Sheba asked.

"Well the lore says that the city of Anemos is the moon," Piers replied. "If that's true, then who can say? We may find ourselves swimming in a sea of stars."

"Only one way to find out," Felix said, stepping onto the circle. He turned to the others. "Last chance to back out. Once I cast the Teleport Psynergy, there's no going back."

He knew they wouldn't though. One-by-one, the six Adepts followed him, until they were all standing on the small circle. Sheba was the last to join them, and she was visibly shaking as she did so. Felix placed his hand on her shoulder to reassure her, and she smiled at him.

"Even if it is what I've been looking for, it won't matter, because I have a home," Sheba said. "Still, it's very nerve-wracking."

"Hold tight, then," Felix said. "Is everyone ready?"

Six heads nodded to him.

"Then here we go."

He focused his Psynergy through the Teleport Lapis, and the familiar feeling of warping away took them.

What they reappeared in what not at all what they had been expecting.

It was dark and cold. What little light there was peeking through the edges of a frayed curtain at the edge of a window. The room was damaged. The remnants of furniture could be seen, damaged beyond repair in some fire in the past. There was a hole in the ceiling, no doubt caused by the same fire, and a starless sky could be seen through it.

"What... is this place?" Garet wondered aloud.

"This is what you're been looking for," Xigbar said suddenly, speaking from beside the curtains. His dark clothes had hid him so well in the darkness that they hadn't seen him.

Xigbar moved to the front of the charred curtains, speaking as he did so. "This is the lost city of the Anemos, separated from your world thousands of years ago." He took the curtains in his hands.

"Also known as..."

Xigbar ripped the curtains right off the wall, and they tumbled down around him, revealing a large window with many cracks and holes. Light filled the room, coming from many tall buildings with bright windows.

But most of all, the light came form the massive, heart-shaped moon in the sky.

"...The City That Never Was!"


	32. Ghosts

The massive, glowing figure of Kingdom Hearts loomed over the seven Adepts as they stood in confusion, Xigbar watching them from the window.

"The City That Never Was?" Sheba asked.

"Dark City, if you want to get technical," Xigbar said with a shrug. "It's had many names over the years."

"Dark City?" Felix repeated. "This can't be Anemos. How have you done this?"

Xigbar snorted. "Fool. Haven't you been paying attention? This is Anemos. I just told you that the city has gone by many names. The city you're talking about, and home of Organization XIII are one and the same."

"But this is... your base, is it not?" Piers inquired. "How can this be? I thought Anemos was the moon of Weyard. Xion has said that your base was many stars away."

"It is, and it isn't," Xigbar said. "Trust me, all will be explained in due time. Come, there is someone who has been waiting for us."

Xigbar began walking to the hallway. Felix followed behind him, with the others just behind him.

"How can we know you can be trusted?"

"You don't," Xigbar replied. "And you shouldn't. But what choice do you have? If you want to save Poppet, you're gonna have to do what we say."

"We?"

"Xemnas and I."

The Nobody walked off, disappearing in the corridor. Felix looked to the others, and they gave him reassuring glances and nods. With their consent, Felix followed after Xigbar, and they followed after him.

Xigbar led them to an empty room, relatively untouched by the fire. Xigbar waved his hand, and a sense of weight filled the room. An ornate circle appeared in the center on the floor.

"The Anemos built quite a castle here," Xigbar said. "They're gone now, and have been gone for a long time now. But they left many secrets, like these warp pads. We keep these circles hidden, partly so the peons will not know about the castle's secrets, but mostly because we can just use Dark Corridors to travel around, so we don't need them anyway."

Xigbar turned to Felix. "Xemas is on the other side. You can do whatever you want now... I won't force your hand. If you think you can save Poppet without our help, then go right ahead. Just think carefully before you make a decision."

Xigbar turned away and waved his hand, summoning a Dark Corridor. He stepped through, and disappeared.

"What do you think, Felix?" asked Isaac. "Can we trust them?"

Felix scratched his chin. "Ivan... what advice can you give us?"

"Not much," Ivan said sadly. "Everything is balanced on the edge of a knife right now. There's so many ways to do this wrong, and only a few to do it right."

"What path will following that warp pad put us on?" Felix asked.

Ivan thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm sorry... I don't know."

Which really means he just can't tell us, Felix thought. That puts it at a fifty-fifty chance. Either we go to Xemnas, or we don't.

"Everything I've learned about Organization XIII is telling me not to trust them," Felix said. "But... I can't take the chance. Xion's life is on the line, and Xemnas has been in this castle a long time. He might know something that can help us. In the worst case scenario, there are seven of us, and two of them. Just stay on the warp pad, so I can Teleport us out of there in an instant if I need to."

Everyone nodded.

 

The seven Adepts found themselves in a circular room of many chairs. Thirteen, in fact, though only two were occupied.

Xigbar sat upon the second highest, while the man Felix naturally assumed was Xemnas sat in the tallest one, a throne directly opposite of where they stood.

Xemnas was a strange sight. His appearance was familiar to Felix somehow, though he could not place where he had seen it. The man's very presence was overbearing. Xigbar may as well have not even been there, for the attention of each of the Adepts was locked onto the Superior of the In-Between.

"Welcome, Adepts of Weyard." Xemnas spoke in a bass voice.

The deep sound of his voice resonated with Felix, and he remembered where he had seen Xemnas before. At Venus Lighthouse, when Riku had unleashed his latent power and transformed, the form he had taken was very similar to Xemnas'.

Similar, but not exact.

"We're here to save Xion," Felix declared. "And we will kill both Alex and Lunos if we need to. If you want to help us, then we will welcome it. But if you stand against us, then you will be our enemies as well."

Xemnas smiled very slightly. "Indeed, I know why you have come. And while we will not directly aid you in your goals, we will assist you by telling you what you need to know, and pointing you in the right direction. The mission of Organization XIII happens to run parallel to your own on this day."

"And what mission would that be?" Felix asked.

"The return of Kingdom Hearts," Xemnas said. "And all that comes with it. Contrary to what you have been told, the Organization is not dead. So long as even one of our number remain, we exist. Rather... we have taken this time to sleep."

"Sleep?" Felix scoffed. "Almost all of you are dead." Even though Felix knew he needed Xemnas' help, he just couldn't help but hate the man. He knew the things Xemnas had done to Xion, and what else he would have, and he could never show respect to a man like that.

"Dead?" Xemnas repeated. "A Nobody does not die. We do not exist in the same ways that you do. No, our existence is but a cycle, and one that shall resume upon the completion of your mission. Thus you see, our goals align. You said when you entered that you came to kill Alex and Lunos. We seek the same thing, but lack the means to do so. So my offer is this... eliminate those two, and consider Xion forever liberated from Organization XIII. You can take her back to your world, and do what you will with her, without pursuit or attention from us."

"A fair offer," Felix said. "An unnecessary one, though. But let me ask you this: why do you want Alex and Lunos dead?"

"To understand this, there is much I must tell you," Xemnas said. "This information is part of the offer we are giving to you, so accept it without suspicion."

"Basically, he's gonna tell you a story," Xigbar said. "So sit down and listen up, cause this is important stuff."

"It began long ago..."

 

In the ancient days of the world, the God-Emperor Lunos ruled over half of Weyard.

In days before even that, Lunos began as a humble man, who traveled the world and learned the secrets of Alchemy. By spending his entire life on a single goal, the mastery of all four elements of Psynergy, he became an Adept unlike any other. Thus, he was the first possessor of the Stone of Sages, and the first immortal to walk the world.

Once eternity was opened up to him, Lunos began to build his empire. It started out as a single village, and grew as the centuries passed, becoming a powerful nation that spanned half of the entire world. With the powers of Alchemy, Lunos crafted machines that blasted fire, and ships that soared the very skies. He was without equal, both followed, and worshiped.

By focusing the deepest and purest form of the four elements, he was able to create the Essences. These were held in four jewels which he placed in his sword. You know them now as the Elemental Stars. By combining all four of their energies together, Lunos created a new element.

Dark Psynergy.

Only an immortal such as himself could bear to wield such an energy, for it destroyed one's own heart. Lunos grew empty inside from using too much Dark Psynergy. His heart faded to nothingness, and he forgot the basics of humanity. He became an emotionless shell of a man.

A Nobody.

But he was immortal, so what would have destroyed mortal men only gave him more power. By wielding Dark Psynergy, none could stand against Lunos. Even those who had resisted his rule until then, such as Lemuria or Ankohl, were threatened by this new power.

But of course, there were those who resisted.

A swordsman appeared, seemingly from nowhere, just as things had grown darkest. He had a weapon, one that was able to resist the darkness, and the dark creatures it spawned.

A Keyblade.

Four sages found him and followed behind him. Each, a master of a single element of Psynergy. They fought their way all the way to the center of Lunos' city, and they attacked and fought Lunos himself.

The battle was long and grim. Lunos was immortal, and thus he could not die. But the Keyblade had a power that existed just to snuff out his own. Lunos grew desperate against this enemy. He drew too deeply, and his very body was consumed by darkness.

The physical body of Lunos was destroyed, but his immortal spirit lingered on, trapped in the room he had been beaten in. The Keyblade master sealed him there, and he was unable to even use his powers to affect others.

The four sages took the jewels from the hilt of his sword. These stars had become the very tether of Alchemy in the Weyard, and with their energy, Lunos may be able to return one day. So the sages sealed the energy in four lighthouses across the world, then locked the stars away deep in a mountain. This severed the planet from its own lifeforce, but they considered that an acceptable sacrifice compared to the evil of Lunos.

The Keyblade master, trapped in Weyard by Lunos' final spell, died and left behind his weapon, which was taken by unknown hands and hidden in an unknown location.

The people of Anemos, facing annihilation without the protection of their God-Emperor, used the technology he had left behind to draw their city up into the sky, leaving Weyard behind forever. The spirit of Lunos, tethered to his tomb, went with them.

Over time, because of the association with Lunos to Luna, it became a myth that the city of Anemos became the moon. In actuality, it entered the gap between dimensions, The World That Never Was. The people of Anemos, cut off from their home world, died out over several centuries, but the spirit of Lunos lingered on, unable to leave his tomb.

And with each passing century, his anger grew.

 

Xigbar watched the Adepts while Superior spoke, carefully evaluating their reactions. The subtleties of their eyes and lips betrayed their thoughts. While it had been a long time since he himself had had a heart, he still remembered what it was like to feel, and he knew how easily those with hearts could be manipulated. Not a word of the story was fabricated, but it was still told in such a way that one might consider misleading.

Indeed, Xemnas was playing the Adepts like a flute.

"There are strange ties between Lunos and Alex," Xemnas told them. "I cannot be certain, but it is my suspicion that Lunos will use Alex as his new vessel. Alex's unnatural abilites, like his way of regenerating from wounds that should be fatal, can undoubtedly be attributed to this. Therefore, all you must do is kill Alex."

"And how are we to do that if he cannot die?" Felix asked. "You just said yourself that he recovers from fatal wounds. And we know, we've seen it ourselves. You see why there's a problem with this?"

"Indeed, there would be," Xemnas continued, unfazed by Felix's acerbity. "But we're no longer in your world. The rules that apply there are meaningless here. Back in Weyard, it was no great task for Alex to reattach a severed head. Here, things are bound by energy, and he will find it harder to evade death with such means. The dead leave no bodies here, yet they linger on as evanescent spirits.

"And with that blade in your hand, you should have no difficulty ending him. As I pointed out in my tale, the Keyblade is Lunos' specific weakness. Cutting Alex with that will sever his ties to the great one, and leave him no stronger than any other Adept."

The other Adepts seemed rather confused by this vague information, but if they had further questions, they did not ask them. Felix however, did step forward, drawing his Sol Blade and holding it high in the air for the Nobodies to see.

"Xigbar said this is a Keyblade, but Xion never said anything like that. Surely she would have known."

"She may not have," Xemnas replied. "It seems to be awakening... slowly. It has been sleeping for several thousand years since the first Keyblade master left it in your world. You have only been using it for a few years. It is only just stirring from its slumber."

"Is it awake enough to defeat Lunos?"

"Lunos cannot harm you, for he is an ethereal spirit," Xemnas said. "The point is that you should not fight Lunos in the first place. Focus on Alex, and slay him before Lunos takes his body. Alex is the vessel, and if you destroy that, then Lunos cannot use it. If Lunos cannot use his vessel, then he is no harm against any of us."

Felix sheathed his blade. "That reminds me. What do you get out of this?"

Xemnas thought for a moment, then smiled. "Of course, my reasons for asking this are not unselfish. Lunos is a great threat to us Nobodies. He can manipulate our minds easily, and should he break free, we would be little more than puppets under his will. Even sealed away, only the strongest of us were able to resist him."

They would be Lunos' puppets, Felix thought, remembering the purposes Organization XIII had created Xion for. Indeed, the cruel irony of that outcome would bother them.

"Lunos' tomb is sealed, and has been since he was first defeated," Xemnas said. "The only thing that can open that door is the key it was originally closed with. That is why we depend upon you to do this. My offer still stands, naturally."

"Yes," Felix said, looking down. "Well, we came here to rescue Xion and stop Alex and Lunos, so offer or no, that's what we're going to do. May we have a few minutes to talk amongst ourselves, before you show us to the tomb?"

"Take all the time you need," Xemnas said. "But remember what will happen in a few hours."

"I'll wait for you in the hallway," Xigbar said. "And then I'll take you to the tomb."

Felix nodded, and they turned and exchanged a few words, before disappearing upon the white teleport circle.

"Not bad," Xigbar said to his Superior once the Adepts were gone. "You told them exactly what you needed to, and they lapped it up like thirsty pups."

"Words are a powerful weapon, far more powerful than any sword or Keyblade," Xemnas said. "Join me in my chamber once they are off. Our preparations are nearly complete."

 

"They're manipulating us," Isaac said to Felix.

At the conclusion of Xemnas' story, the Adepts had left and returned to the first room, with its large broken window, and its generous view of Kingdom Hearts. As far as they knew, neither Xemnas nor Xigbar were within earshot.

Felix, Isaac, Piers, and Ivan stood in a circle in the center of the room, while Garet, Sheba, and Jenna were examining the details of the burnt fortress.

"Of course," Felix replied. "Xemnas himself admitted as much, when he said that our goals are the same. It is an alliance of convenience, not a genuine offer."

"Do you doubt that he will keep his word?" Piers asked.

"That is always a possibility," Felix said. "Always expect betrayal, that way you'll always be prepared for it."

"Forgetting Lunos and Alex for a minute..." Isaac said. "What are we going to do about them after we save Xion? Just return to Weyard and go on without lives? They're still the bad guys, and they still killed Mia."

"I haven't gotten that far yet," Felix said. "I've been focusing my attention on the immediate problem. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Felix turned to Ivan. "I don't suppose there's anything you can share that might help with this?"

Ivan thought for a moment, then he nodded. "Yeah... I can tell you one thing. You don't have to worry about Xemnas or Xigbar betraying us. Everything they said is the truth. Xemnas will keep his word."

Felix nodded, feeling a bit relieved to have that bit of tension off his chest. Still, he was still aware of the dozens of other problems he had to worry about and keep in mind, so it was only a minor relief.

Felix noticed Ivan avoiding the eyes of the others, casting his gaze down and looking ashamed. There was clearly a lot more he knew that he couldn't share, and it bothered Felix not to know what that was. The fact that Ivan was nervous and not excited meant that it couldn't be anything good. Felix wished desperately that he had Ivan's mind reading powers, so he could know what was going through the boy's mind. However, he knew that his not knowing what the bad thing about to happen was prevented him from trying to prevent it and triggering something even worse, like a hole in the fabric of reality.

Felix felt great sorrow for Ivan then, as he realized just what a heavy burden the boy had to carry. To know of all the bad things that were going to happen, yet being unable to say or do anything to prevent them, essentially reducing your role in events to that of an onlooker... Felix didn't know how he could live with that.

He never could.

 

Jenna was not well.

A sense of unease and tension afflicted her, even more than what was to be expected under their circumstances. Ever since she had set foot in the Castle That Never Was, a feeling had been growing in the back of her skull, like a strange sort of ringing or vibrating.

She felt out of place. She felt dizzy, and nervous. She wasn't talking much, not that anyone other than Felix really felt like talking much in such a strange and alien place.

But it wasn't just that. There was something really bothering her, like she had forgotten something really important. A vague sense of foreboding filled her, and she struggled to remember what it was she had forgotten. Whatever it was, she knew that it was related to what was going on now.

Her stomach hurt suddenly, and she doubled over, letting out a quiet moan. It was a quick and sharp pain, like being bitten or stabbed. She felt disconnected for a moment, and she was only vaguely aware that Garet, who had been standing beside her, had his hand on her shoulder, and was saying something.

"What...?" she asked.

"I asked if you were okay," Garet said. "You looked like you were about to throw up."

She smiled. "Just nervous."

Garet returned the smile and helped her back up.

The pain in her stomach was already gone, having faded to a dull ache. A very cold and strange ache, that left her belly feeling bare and empty.

 

Xigbar was waiting for them in the gray and scorched-black hallway.

"Follow me," he said, turning and walking off without checking to see if they actually would. They did, however.

As they walked, Felix took note of the walls, floor, and ceiling of the gray castle. More than half of the place was damaged in the fire. All around, walls were charred and half standing, there was a thick layer of ash on the floor, and all the windows were broken, though there was an unnatural lack of wind for a building so high in the air.

"The Anemos didn't leave this place in very good condition," Felix noted. "Not a very good fortress if the place is only half standing."

"The Anemos left the place fine," Xigbar replied. "It wasn't like this when I left. Apparently, Axel torched the place on his way out, and it was enough to do all this."

Axel...? Now that Xigbar mentioned it, Felix could vaguely remember Axel saying something to the effect. Felix rather regretted not having the spiky-haired man with them. Felix certainly didn't miss the guy, but if his fire magic was powerful enough to turn a massive ancient castle into a scorched ruin, then he would have been a great help in the coming battle.

Plus, Axel would certainly want to help save her.

Felix took a closer look at the unburned parts of the walls. They were all the same shade of lifeless, uniform gray.

It was strange, actually. Normally something so sterile wouldn't bother him. But today, the dullness of the place seemed almost to taunt him. It reminded him that the man they were following was but an empty shell of a human being, and so was the one back in the room of thrones.

It was a meaningless gray. An artificial gray. An inhuman gray.

The same meaningless, artificial, inhuman thing that Xion was supposed to be.

He hated the thought as soon as it came to his mind. He had never considered Xion to be anything less than a unique and wholly human being, not even after their conversation in Loho when she had told him she wasn't. The very thought of her not being unique, when she displayed enough individuality for him to eventually come to love her, had always seemed strange to him.

But now, passing through the ugly and dull ruins of the Castle That Never Was, Felix finally understood why Xion had thought so little of herself when she first arrived in Weyard. Being surrounded by such stagnation at all times would constantly remind someone of their own existential doubts. It was likely the only thing she ever had to think about.

And she had very nearly given into the idea that others deserved to exist more than she did.

Felix clenched his fists, his determination to save her renewed. He would carry her away from this awful place, and take her back to Weyard and give her as complete a life as anyone deserved. He would take her one Piers' boat and show her all the places he had been. He would get out his old flute, and play it for her. They would share wine under the stars. He would kiss her, and tell her how much she meant to him, and he would protect her from anyone who would dare to even think that she was nothing more than a puppet.

He swore that she would never be used again.

 

"This is it," Xigbar said, stopping suddenly.

After the long march through the solemn corridors of the castle, the Adepts found themselves before a large stone door, covered in the familiar runes they had seen before, at the Anemos Inner Sanctum, the elemental lighthouses, and other ruins. In the center of the door was a large, narrow keyhole, similar to the one Felix and Piers had found in Dullahan's chamber.

"Indeed it is," Felix said, stepping forward. He wasted no time in drawing the Sol Blade and inserting it into the lock. There was a loud click, and the door slid open.

On the other side they saw, rather than another stone corridor like they expected, but a cavern of fantastic dark colors and stone cliffs with glowing blue rocks. Lights winked faintly in the distance, and there was an aura of beauty and peace.

"Well, we've seen this before." Isaac said.

"Yeah, it's just like the Elemental Star Chamber in Sol Sanctum," Garet said. "Except there's no water."

Felix noticed that there indeed was not. In fact, the cavern did not seem to have a bottom at all, simply dropping down into oblivion.

"Let's hope nobody falls in," Jenna muttered.

"So where is Lunos at?" Sheba asked.

Felix looked around. The cavern was not a large chamber like the one in Sol Sanctum, but rather a tunnel that trailed off and disappeared behind a corner.

"Deeper down," he said. "This is just the entrance."

"Hey guys," Garet said suddenly. "The eyepatch dude is gone."

They turned around, and saw that Garet's observations were right yet again. Xigbar had vanished while their attention was focused on the strange cave.

"The hell with him," Felix said impatiently, remembering Xion. "We have to hurry. Let's go."

Felix stepped through the doorway without waiting for the others. On the other side were a set of blue stone steps which led down to a smaller platform. He followed that, and then jumped across the small platforms until he reached a large one.

It was then he realized the others weren't with him.

Felix turned to find Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Jenna, Sheba, and Piers standing confused on the other side of the doorway, still on the castle side.

"What are you all waiting for?" Felix demanded.

"We can't get through!" Sheba shouted across the already considerable distance.

"It is as though there is a wall we cannot see, preventing us from passing through!" Piers said, and to demonstrate, he placed a hand up against the barrier he spoke of. His hand did not pass through the threshold, and from Felix's perspective it look pressed against glass.

"Can any of you get through?!" Felix asked.

They all tried, with the same results.

"Damn it all..." Felix muttered.

"Lunos must be keeping us out," Isaac said. "The only reason Felix can get through is..."

Felix touched the Sol Blade at his belt.

"Xemnas said nothing about this!" Jenna exclaimed.

Xemnas had never opened the door, Felix thought. He had said so, and Ivan confirmed everything he said was true. It was entirely possible that he had not realized this would happen, but...

It was far more likely he had.

Which was why Xigbar had left in such a hurry. Ivan's word was undoubtedly true, so nothing Xemnas had said could have been a direct lie. But half-truths and withheld information? Careful wording could guarantee honesty even while one deceived. He had known not to trust Xemnas from the beginning, and if he could spare the time, he would have fetched a scribe to record everything Xemnas said, so he could review the exact words.

When Felix looked at Ivan's face, he did not see the shock, confusion, and frustration the others were showing. Which could only mean one thing. Once again, Felix felt that feeling of frustration and betrayal, but he reminded himself of what would happen if Ivan did tell him these things, and he redirected his anger at Xemnas, Alex, and Lunos.

"Felix!" Isaac called out to him. "There isn't enough time to figure this out! You go on and save Xion! We'll do what we can! If we can figure out a way through this, or if you can somehow disable this power, we'll come and help you!"

He stared at Isaac for a moment, saying with his eyes: Thank you. You're in change until I get back.

As the others wished him luck, Felix turned back to the depths of the cavern and ran across the platforms as fast as he could, while being careful not to slip in and fall into the eternal abyss. The cavern above and around him twisted and turned until it opened up into a massive area unlike anything he had ever seen.

The Sol Sanctum platforms ended. Hovering in the air at least a mile above him was a huge stone, at least the size of Air's Rock. A narrow set of stairs began at the edge of the last platform, running in a great spiral up and up into the air until it reached the edge of the floating island.

"That has to be at least a hundred stories of stairs..." Felix breathed in awe. In all his life, he had never seen more than thirty floors of stairs and even that was in ancient ruins from an age far more advanced than his own. He had never climbed stairs like that before.

What good was it to try to save Xion if he was too tired to stand when he reached her?

"Don't worry about the stairs," spoke a soft and gentle voice from behind him. "They're not as bad as they look."

Felix knew who the voice belonged to without even having to turn. And he was tempted not to, for he had never expected to hear that voice again. But still he turned around, both happy and terrified to see the spectral girl standing behind him.

"It's nice to see you again, Felix," Mia said in a sad voice that echoed into the abyss. "I just wish it were under less dark circumstances."


	33. Wish

He was unable to run up the long spiral of stairs, for they were too narrow and the fall was too far. He had ran at first, but after slipping nearly three times, he had decided that there was no chance of him saving Xion is he fell to his death. So he walked, but his steps still had the spring of haste in them.

The ghostly form of Mia followed behind him.

They talked as much as they could while he ran. She told him about where she had found herself after her death in Mercury Lighthouse, as a Nobody, and how Axel had taken her back to the Castle That Never Was. She told him about her meeting with Riku, how she had freed Roxas from his imprisonment, and how she had been killed once again in the crossfire of the battle between Axel, Roxas, Riku, and Saix.

"Early in my life, a fortune teller had told me I would die three times," Mia said sadly. "I suppose the first death was when I learned of Alex's betrayal, at the top of Mercury Lighthouse."

"I'm so sorry," Felix replied, unable to face her. After all, he had been there. He had been working with Alex at that time.

Mia shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. Even though your goals were the same at the time, you and Alex were nothing alike. You lit the lighthouse because you wanted to save your family, and later, the world. Alex only did it for power."

"Well, that power has now left him the slave of Lunos," Felix said. "And I'm going to kill him now."

Mia looked at him, and she smiled. "You're not doing this for revenge anymore. I don't see that rage... that obsession... in your eyes anymore."

Felix shook his head. "I'm doing this to save Xion."

"Do you... love her?"

He hesitated, but answered firmly. "Yes."

"That's good. I'm happy for you, Felix."

"You don't feel betrayed? I've moved on to her, and left you... in this place. You don't hate me for that?"

"Would you hate me if our roles were reversed?"

He thought about it. "No, I wouldn't."

"You see. I'm glad to see you've moved on. I'll likely be stuck in this place for eternity."

"You won't," Felix said with resolve. "I'll defeat Lunos, and you and the other spirits will be free."

Felix had seen other ghosts going by as he had climbed the stairs. Many of them were ordinary people, floating by with apathetic looks on their faces. A few were unusual, like a man with pink-tinted hair, or a boy with black hair that covered half of his face.

Mia had explained that this place was where the spirits of Nobodies went. Normally Nobodies followed a cycle of rebirth, where if both the Nobody and the Heartless of the original Somebody were to die, then that person would be reborn as themselves once again. But Lunos had stopped the cycle, not letting them return to the world. And thus, the Nobodies were trapped in this purgatory.

"Does this mean that the spirits of the Organization members killed are here?" Felix had asked, looking around for Roxas or Demyx. The spirits all wore the same white robe, so he couldn't simply look for the Black Coat.

Mia had nodded. "I saw Luxord some time ago. The others won't speak to me, though. They won't even speak to each other. Everyone just floats aimlessly, lost in their apathy."

Returning to the present, Felix took note of how far he had climbed. There was still some great distance to go. How much time had passed, he wondered? He felt like he had been climbing for at least an hour.

"Have you seen Roxas?" Felix asked, thinking of Xion.

"No, I haven't." Mia muttered. "I didn't know to look for him. Who else has died?"

Felix scratched his chin. "Three more Organization members... Demyx, Saix, and one whose name I do not know. Riku as well, but he would not come here, since he wasn't a Nobody."

"I see," Mia said quietly. "What about... Axel?"

Felix turned to her and saw the concern in her eyes; the longing and the hope. He realized that Mia not simply asking out of curiosity. He almost felt a flash of jealousy, but he remembered that he had Xion.

"He's alive, or at least he was last time I saw him," Felix told her.

Mia looked down and smiled, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Has he... has he ever spoke of me?"

Felix remembered Axel's lie in Kalay; that Mia had still been alive, and was being held by Organization XIII. Felix had been enraged, and had swore to kill them all and save her. Axel had manipulated Felix into helping him with his own vengeance. When Felix had learned the truth, he had been enraged. He had nearly killed Axel for it. But he knew that under similar circumstances... he may have done the same. He knew what the desire for revenge did to someone.

He still didn't like Axel, though. But if Axel and Mia were to be together, he wouldn't hold it against them.

"I think he really regretted lying to you," Felix told her. "He didn't speak of you often, but I think he thought about you all the time."

Mia nodded. Felix couldn't tell if she was satisfied with the answer, or disappointed.

Felix looked up at the floating island, where Lunos' tomb waited. It was drawing closer. In fact, it wouldn't be long until he reached it. His hands were shaking. Felix was afraid. He didn't fear the conflict with Alex or Lunos, as he had long ago gotten used to such battles. He feared the possible outcome, that he wouldn't be able to stop them on his own, and that both he and Xion would die. And he feared that after they were beaten, Lunos would march out in Alex's body and kill the others. And then he would return to Weyard, and destroy Kalay, where Kraden and everyone's parents were waiting for their return.

Felix shook his head. He simply couldn't let that happen.

"What have you learned of Lunos?" Felix asked Mia.

"Little," Mia replied. "He never leaves his tomb. I know he's like us, an ethereal spirit. But he has power over us. Nobody goes to him, because he has the power to subject us to any tortures he can imagine. So we do not dare to speak against him.

"I do know that... if he does take his vessel, then he plans to leave this place, and we will be stuck here for eternity."

Felix grimaced. He absolutely had to stop Lunos. He prayed that Xemnas' words were true, or at least, true enough. Xemnas had told him all he had to do was defeat Alex with the Sol Blade, and Lunos would be beaten. Hopefully that also meant he could repatch the seal, and cut Lunos off from the rest of the world.

A sense of weight filled the air. Felix looked up and realized that he had reached the island. The stairs led right into the side of the rock, where a passageway had been cut into its side. It was a stone hallway, with perfectly cut bricks and magic torches on the walls. It looked eerily similar to Sol Sanctum.

"This is it," Mia said. "I'm sorry, I can't go any farther. Lunos will not let me."

"I understand," Felix replied. "Mia... thank you. And don't worry. I'm going to stop him, and you'll be free of this place. I swear it."

Tears fell down Mia's cheeks. "Just be careful, okay? Don't... don't let him take you, too." She leaned forward to him, and pressed her lips to his cheek. Her transparent form passed through him. He did not feel her.

He nodded to her, and without another word, he stepped from the final step of the stairway into the stone corridor.

He ran through the halls, no longer being forced to walk by the threat of an eternal free-fall. The hallway was straight for a time, then it turned and Felix was greeted by more stairs. Not wasting a single moment, he ran up those stairs.

They spiraled up, and at the top Felix could see another door. He ran until he reached it, and saw that the door had the same keyhole as the one before. He drew the Sol Blade, stuck it in the opening, and turned it with a click. The stone door slid open, and he ran through before it had even finished opening.

He was greeted by blinding light.

 

Jenna paced back and forth impatiently.

Piers, Sheba, and Isaac had left some time ago, to return to the higher levels of the Castle That Never Was, and try to find Xemnas or Xigbar. The others; Ivan, Garet, and herself, waited by the doorway to Lunos' tomb and tested every now and then to see if they could pass through. So far, they had no luck.

The unease she had felt earlier had faded somewhat, but not completely. The feeling that she had forgotten something important was still there, as was the aching pain in her stomach. Mirthlessly, she wondered if she had just drank some expired milk before she left.

Finally, the sound of footsteps reached her ears. She turned to find Isaac, Sheba, and Piers returning.

"Any luck?" she asked eagerly.

Isaac shook his head. "They're nowhere to be found."

"I even used the Teleport Pads to check that room with all the chairs," Sheba said. "They're both gone."

Jenna swore under her breath. "Well, what else can we do?"

Isaac frowned. "I don't know."

At that time, Garet, who was leaning up against the invisible barrier that blocked their way, gave out a cry and fell back, landing on his back. Jenna turned, about to chew him out for goofing off at such a serious moment, when she saw that he was lying on the stone floor.

On the other side.

Piers stepped forward and pressed his hand up against the threshold. This time, his hand went right through.

"It's open!" Sheba exclaimed. "Felix must have shut off Lunos' power!"

"Then we have to hurry!" Isaac declared. "He might need out help. C'mon, let's go!"

They all ran through the doorway and jumped from rock to rock, while Garet climbed back to his feet and followed behind them.

Jenna noticed the feeling of unease had returned in earnest.

 

Felix emerged into a truly alien scene.

The top of the floating island was mostly plateau, with high walls on all sides. There were trees here and there, and even grass. In the center was a stone tomb, which was broken open. A man sat atop it, with two others at his side. Felix immediately recognized them as Xion and Alex. The man in the center had to be Lunos.

He was wrapped from head to toe in black leather wrapping, like a mummy. His hands and head were free, and they were both rotten and decayed. His skin was as pale as ice, and his eyes were red with diamond-shaped pupils. A blue tattoo of a crescent moon was carved in his forehead. His ears were pointed, and he did not have a single hair on his head, nor eyebrows.

"Welcome, Felix of Vale," Lunos spoke in a guttural voice like a dying man. "Welcome to my tomb."

"Xion!" he called out, ignoring Lunos. "Xion, are you alright?"

Her head was bowed, and she did not answer him.

"This girl sleeps," Lunos rasped. "And in her dreams she sees the sky. What a desire to fly she has. She dreams that she is a bird."

"What have you done to her?!" Felix demanded.

"Nothing," Lunos said. "Nothing at all. I did not capture her, or force her hand in any way. Alex did not drag her here on my behalf. She came to me of her own free will."

"You lie!"

"It's true," Xion said, looking up. "There is no point in resisting fate. It was my destiny to come here. It has been since the moment I set foot in Weyard."

"What are you saying...?" Felix asked.

"Everything that has happened up until now has been my design!" Lunos wheezed. "Everything you have done, and everything she has done, has been the steps in bringing about this exact moment!"

"You speak nonsense," Felix said. "You're a mad fool."

"Think about it, Felix!" Lunos spat. "What do these two have in common? What is the logical solution to missing pieces in this story? What is it that I could possibly want with this girl here? You've been denying it to yourself, but its been there, in the back of your mind, all this time!"

"N-No...!"

"That's right, Felix," Xion said. "I am the true vessel of Lunos."

"NOOOOO!"

Lunos grinned sickly. "When she came here, I saw deep into her soul. I saw the emptiness. Alex was an empty, heartless person, but when I saw her... so malleable in form... Alex became the backup. She would make a far better vessel, indeed. I would be even stronger in her than I was in my original body!"

Lunos rose, stumbling on unsteady legs. He looked like he was barely able to walk. "This rotten, diseased flesh... it will do for now. I needed a form to hold me while I watched your despair."

Felix drew the Sol Blade and charged. Lunos raised his hands, and fleshy tendtrils burst from the ground and wrapped around Felix's arms and legs. He was lifted high in the air, unable to move. The Sol Blade fell from his hand, landing point-down in the earth below.

"I do have a degree of my old power in this body," Lunos rasped. "Not nearly my true amount. That Nobody back at Mercury Lighthouse sufficed as a test of sorts. But the Nobodies are too unstable. They cannot hold me for long, and the body mutates and goes berserk. Only a human with a truly empty heart can hold me, and even then only after they are augmented by the true Essences of Alchemy. It wasn't until young Xion crossed into my former kingdom that I realized that a being like her... a Replica... would be so much better than a mere human."

Felix struggled uselessly against his bonds. Xion watched him apathetically.

"I involved you for personal reasons, Felix," Lunos continued. "You see, long ago, there was a Keyblade master much like you. He came at me with a force I was not prepared for, and I died under his hand. Or at least the kind of death an immortal can suffer. That boy left and settled down in a village called Vale. He took a wife, had children, and died a mortal man. The centuries passed, and history forgot him. But I never did. So imagine my surprise, when I found my new vessel was traveling around Weyard with his direct descendant?"

Felix tried to use his Psynergy, but Lunos had already placed a seal on him.

"So if I could not have my revenge on the one who defeated me... I guess someone with his blood would be the next best thing," Lunos said. "I've already opened the way for your companions. They're on their way right now, foolishly believing that you need their help, that you opened the way for them. They are instead rushing to their deaths."

"No!" Felix spat. "I don't care if my ancestor was the one who killed you! Fine, then take your revenge on me! But leave them out of it!"

"No," Lunos replied. "This is my revenge. First, you will watch me take the body of the girl you love. And then, with that body, I will torture and slaughter every one of your friends. Your sister will be last. I will quite enjoy raping and peeling the skin off her bones. And then, after hours of hell, your own torture will begin. It will be long, and slow, and beautiful."

"NOOO!" Felix screamed, thrashing in his bonds. "NOOOOOO!"

"Let's begin," Lunos sneered. He turned from Felix and stumbled over to Xion. But before he reached her, Alex stepped in front of him.

"Master, I have served you well," Alex said. "And I am quite powerful, even more so than the girl. I may make a better vessel than her. Might I suggest that we do battle, to decide which vessel is stronger?"

"You think you would do better to serve me?" Lunos asked. "You think that this girl is not the perfect flesh through which I can rebuild my empire? Hmph. Very well then. You two fight, and if you impress me enough Alex, then I may consider using you instead."

Alex and Xion moved past Lunos, standing across each other in the center of the island. Lunos returned to his tomb and sat upon it, watching them with his dead eyes.

Felix could do nothing but watch.

"Arm yourselves," Lunos commanded.

Alex reached under his white cloak and drew the ebony sword he had used in Kalay. No energy glowed this time, for he was channeling no Psynergy through it.

Xion held both of her hands and summoned two blades. The first was the Soul Eater. The second was her long-lost Keyblade. Now that she was serving Lunos, he had no reason to keep it from her.

Alex and Xion stared each other down for a long minute. Then Alex charged. He soared through the air, and swung his ebony blade down upon Xion. She blocked easily with the Soul Eater, then countered with her Keyblade.

Alex warped away, appearing on top of a tree. Xion quickly found him, and she jumped after him, switching to the offensive. She swung with both blades, making a X-shaped slash through the air. Alex dodged by jumping back, and he cast his Psynergy, blasting Xion with shards of ice.

Xion landed and summoned a wall of stone to block the attack. The ice crystals hit the wall and shattered uselessly.

Xion rushed out from behind the wall, closing in on Alex with intense speed. She attacked him with an intensity and ferocity Felix had never seen from her. Alex expertly wielded his sword, blocking every stroke.

It was identical to their battle atop Mars Lighthouse. At least at first. But as the minutes passed, a difference became prominent. Where at the lighthouse, Xion had done everything she could just to match Alex's strength, here she was having no problem keeping up with him. In fact, she was keeping Alex on the defensive, not giving him any chances to reverse the flow of battle. She was actually winning.

And then, almost out of nowhere, it was over. Xion knocked Alex's sword out of his hand, and he fell to his knees, beaten.

"You fool," Lunos spat, rising again. "You actually thought you could beat her? She is my chosen vessel, the body through which I will retake my empire. I would not have made such a mistake. I only kept you around in the unfortunate situation that she should be killed in Weyard. But the fact remains that ever since I saw her, you were my second choice."

Another black tendril rose from the ground and wrapped itself around Alex's throat. He gasped, and clutched at the inky appendage, trying in vain to free himself. The tendril pulled him up off the ground and held him high above the ground. It moved him away from the safety of the island, and dangled him over the abyss.

"You served me well, indeed," Lunos sneered. "But I don't need you anymore. So enjoy your fall."

The tendril released Alex and he fell. Alex screamed, and the sound of his terror carried for a time, growing fainter as he fell into the bottomless pit.

"Now that he's out of the way," Lunos said. "It is time. The eclipse is nigh in Weyard, and for the next few hours the red star will shine behind the moon. Come, Xion."

"Xion, no!" Felix screamed, thrashing and struggling to break free. "Don't! Remember who you are! Xion, I love you! Please!"

She turned to him for a moment, and looked up at him with sad eyes. He could see the slight glistening of an unshed tear.

"This is... the only way. Felix... goodbye."

Felix cried out to her, but she turned from him and did not listen. Xion lifted the Soul Eater up, holding it in reverse. And then she drove the blade through her heart. She fell to the ground, the life gone from her eyes.

Felix screamed.

Lunos laughed. His body twisted and spasmed, and his head split in the middle, his rotten body peeling in half like a banana. Thick, black smoke flowed out.

The unnatural smoke moved with purpose, striking Xion's face. It flowed into her through her mouth and nostrils. She fell back, her limbs stiff like a corpse.

When she rose, and turned back to face Felix, it was no longer Xion.

"Felix!"

A great stone wall appeared, rising up from the ground and bisecting the island. Ice appeared, freezing the black tendrils that held Felix, and lightning struck the frozen parts, shattering them. The tendrils shrieked in pain and drew back. Felix fell.

Garet and Jenna ran to where Felix was and caught him. The others, Isaac, Ivan, Sheba, and Piers, were standing at the wall with their weapons drawn.

"Are you okay?" Jenna asked.

Felix nodded. His eyes stung, and everything he saw was blurry. He was crying.

"Where's Xion?" Garet asked.

The lump in Felix's throat was making it hard to speak. "D-d-d..."

Jenna and Garet exchanged glances. They knew.

"Felix, I'm so sorry," Garet said.

Jenna held him, and he was unable to do anything but cry in her arms.

On the other side of the wall, a voice called out to them.

"You're all here..." Lunos said. His voice was different now. Rather than the sickly rasp of before, he spoke in a clear and strong baritone. "I see now. Alex's request for a battle was merely a tactic to delay the process. Manipulative to the end, that one. Even under my thrall, he still got one over one me. But no matter. The end result shall be the same."

Rage filled Felix. Without Xion to protect, there was only one thing left to do. The familiar feeling of revenge came back to him like a drug. Intoxicating.

He saw the Sol Blade and picked it up. He rose, wiped away his tears and raised the blade. He could feel Lunos' seal on his Psynergy gone.

Inky, black veins began to appear in Isaac's rock barrier. The stone began to vibrate, and beads of thick, brown liquid ran down its sides. The rock was melting.

"You should all leave here," Felix said. "He opened the barrier so you would come and help me. He want to make me watch while he kills all of you. If you leave, at least he won't have that."

"Not happening," Garet said, pulling his battleaxe off his back. "How many times do we gotta tell you, man? We won't leave you."

"Even if the battle is hopeless," Jenna said, drawing a rapier from her side.

"We'll die together if we must," Isaac said.

Felix shook his head. This time, he was not moved by their loyalty. The battle was one they could not win. Lunos was unstoppable, and they didn't have the trick of sealing away Alchemy to stop him like his ancestor did.

They would all die there.

The rock wall collapsed in a flow of brown mud, which flowed past them at their feet. On the other side, watching them expressionlessly, was Lunos.

He had changed Xion's body to look as his had, at the glory of his empire. He was tall, muscular, and dark skinned. He wore the same armor they had seen years ago on Dullahan. He still had no hair or eyebrows.

That's not Xion anymore. You saw what happened... he made her stab herself before he took her body. Even if you could force him out of the vessel, she's still gone.

Therefore, there was no reason to hold back.

Lunos held in his hand a white mask. He placed the mask on his face, replacing his face with an empty, soulless stare. Then he raised his now-free hand and dark energy filled the room.

"You will submit before my might," said Lunos. "Now... SUBMIT!"

The same tendrils of black Psynergy formed around Felix, and he felt a force with the strength of iron pulling him forward. He struggled, but he could not resist the unbreakable grip, and he was forced down to his knees. The tendrils held him in place in this forced bow of submission. He turned his head to the side, and could see the others were caught in the same thing.

Only one of the Adepts still stood.

Lunos let out a haughty laugh. "So... you're protected, are you?"

Jenna looked around at the others, not understanding what was happening. She took her sword, and pointed it threateningly at Lunos. "Let them go!"

"And why should I?" Lunos asked her. "This is where humans belong... at the feet of a superior being."

Not bothering with further words, Jenna attacked. Lunos held his hand out and his dark energy swirled around, taking the shape of a black scythe. Jenna attacked with her rapier, swinging it in swift, accurate strokes. Lunos wielded his scythe perfectly, blocking every attack. He put little effort in his defense, for Jenna's swordplay was very little threat to his hundreds of years of experience.

Jenna realized this, and she took a step back, rethinking her strategy.

Lunos held his scythe in the air, waiting. He looked at her, focusing dark energy into his eyes. He could see what the others couldn't... a second Jenna that stood behind the first.

"Your guardian angel?" Lunos asked. "Yes, I remember you... You were the one Alex took the Mars Essence from."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"It seems you have forgotten," Lunos said.

A cold feeling ran through Jenna. The pain in her stomach returned.

"Don't worry..." Lunos sneered. "I shall help you remember!"

Lunos sprang forth, moving with speed Jenna had no hope of matching. She tried to dodge, but he had already grabbed her by the time she even realized he was moving. His gloved hand found her throat, and he lifted her up off the ground. Her sword fell to the ground.

Jenna struggled in vain, trying to pry Lunos' gauntlet away from her throat. His grip was like iron. She kicked and twisted and did everything she could, but it was no use.

Lunos placed his other hand over her forehead, like he was checking her temperature.

"Remember!" he commanded.

And then she did.

Images flashed into her mind. Herself and Isaac, sitting under a tree and considering names for their child. An old woman she met on the road to Kalay. Nightmares about a man wrapped in leather, who reeked of death itself. The old woman appeared to her again and again, each time looking younger and more like herself. And then she saw...

The pain in her stomach...

...Alex cutting her open and eating her child right out of her womb.

Jenna screamed.

Lunos released his grip on her throat, no longer needing to hold her. She fell to the ground, clutching her stomach, sobbing and curled up into a ball.

Felix, Isaac, and others were calling out her name, but she couldn't hear them.

"My... my baby..."

Hot tears ran down her cheeks.

On the other side of the room, she could see the old body of Lunos, the corpse wrapped in leather. The very same body he had appeared in her dreams in.

"Nonononononono..."

"Jenna."

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up, and she saw the comforting eyes of Jasmine.

"It's okay," she said. "I never left your side. He could never take me from you."

Jenna blinked, and she saw Jasmine differently than she had before. Jasmine wasn't quite the same as her... a very strong resemblance, but not the same. There were parts of Isaac in that face.

"It's... it's you..."

Jasmine... no, Aria... she smiled, and helped Jenna to her feet.

"This was the ultimate plan of the Wise One," Aria told her.

Lunos had noticed she was standing now. He was saying something, but Jenna couldn't care less. Her daughter wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"He has no power over you," she said. "He didn't back then, and he doesn't now. Not as long as I'm here."

Lunos was walking towards them. With a brave smile, Jenna turned. Lunos was standing right in front of her, his face expressionless behind his white mask. With her daughter's hand in her own, she raised her free hand, and blasted Lunos directly in the face with as much fire Psynergy as she could create.

 

Felix felt the bonds holding him shatter. The tendrils broke like shattered glass, thrashing in pain for a moment before they collapsed into a thousand pieces. He rose immediately, picking up his Sol Blade off the ground. Behind him, he heard the others doing the same.

Lunos' head was on fire, as Jenna was blasting him with a stream of flames. The fire fizzled out, as Jenna's Psynergy reserves ran out. She had attacked him with such a concentrated blast that she had exhausted herself with a single attack. She stepped back on shaky legs.

Lunos growled in rage and sprang forth, ignoring the ball of fire around his head. He swung his scythe, and it struck Jenna across the chest. Red blood spilled and she fell.

"Jenna!" Felix screamed. Behind him, Isaac did the same.

They all ran to where Jenna had fallen. Lunos jumped back, avoiding several attacks as he did. Isaac and Piers ran to Jenna, and Felix could feel healing Psynergies already emanating from them.

Lunos took several steps back, as the flames around his skull died out. His hair was gone, and his skin was scorched black. The mask on his face, which was still aflame, was crumbling apart. With a growl of rage, Lunos ripped the mask off his face and threw it aside.

The mask landed next to his tomb and broke into several pieces.

"Damn... with the mask..." Lunos mumbled. "Hmph. No matter. It will take little power to defeat you all. I can spare that."

The skin around Lunos' skull was already healing. Even his hair was growing back. But something was different about him without his mask.

"Oh, Jenna..." Isaac said as he held his wounded fiancee. "Please be alright."

"She'll be fine," Piers said. "It was only a flesh wound. She collapsed from Psynergy exhaustion. It would have been worse, but since I healed her quickly, she'll be fine."

"Then I'm taking her to the sides, where she won't be in the line of danger." Isaac said, picking her up and carrying her off. He took her to the edge of the island and laid her next to a tree.

"Your efforts are meaningless," Lunos said. "Even without my mask, you cannot stop me. She will die all the same, just as you all will."

"We'll see," Felix said, raising the Sol Blade. Isaac joined him, with his Gaia Blade.

"Fools!" Lunos said, anger now appearing through his cracked facade of confidence. "I am Lunos, the God-Emperor of the Anemos! I own Weyard, and all those who were born upon its soil! How dare you mongrels even take arms against me! You will suffer long for your insolence!"

Lunos rose into the air, and the heavy aura of dark Psynergy filled the air.

With the memory of Xion's smiling face in his mind's eye, Felix charged.


	34. The Great Destroyer

Felix and the five other remaining Adepts charged at Lunos, armed with powerful weapons and Psynergy. The two Jupiter Adepts, Ivan and Sheba, struck Lunos with bolts of lightning. Garet hurled fireballs and struck with his large axe when he could. Piers used ice to slow Lunos down and quickly healed any wounds his companions received, and Isaac and Felix kept Lunos close and overwhelmed him with swordplay.

While Lunos was immortal, he was not invulnerable. Any mortal fighter would have quickly fallen under this barrage, but his natural healing abilities and superior levels of power kept him on his feet. But despite all his advantages over them, it was clear the mortals had the advantage. There were six of them and only one of him, and even without the advantage of numbers, they were each one of the most powerful Adepts Weyard had seen in years. Together, they had just a portion of strength greater than Lunos'.

This was only because he was forced to hold back his full strength. Without the mask to restrain his corruption, he could only use dark Psynergy sparingly. Even so, his natural abilities should have been enough to take on six mortals, but he was still unused to his new body. He was moving for the first time in several millennia, so it was only natural that he would be at the top of his game.

And it showed, because the Adepts were winning.

Realizing that he would be beaten if he fought them all at once, Lunos retreated. He warped away and appeared a moment later atop the large wall bordering the island. The Adepts quickly found him, and watched him warily.

“If only I still had my mask...” Lunos muttered under his breath in frustration. “Then I could use the full extent of my power.”

Lunos had only used a small amount of his dark Psynergy in holding the Adepts off since his mask had broken, and he could already feel the repercussions. Normally, his mask blocked the side effects, so without it, he was forced to fight reservedly.

Lunos blinked, and Felix was materializing before him, having used the same teleportation spell he had. He jumped away from Felix's attack just in time, only to find one of the Jupiter Adepts, Sheba, also atop the wall. She blasted him with heavy bolts of electricity, and he shook off the attack, while nearly falling off the wall into the abyss.

“Damn!”

Lunos jumped off the wall, back onto the island. The other Adepts - Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Piers - were waiting for him, and bombarded him with Psynergy.

Lunos blocked their attacks with ease, by generating an shield of impenetrable dark energy, but he could feel the toll.

How dare they?! Psynergy is my art! I created it centuries before they were born! How dare they try to beat me with my own techniques?!

Still, he realized that their Psynergy reserves were far lower than his own. Seeing how quickly Jenna had run out had shown him the weakness of the mortals. If they were forced to maintain this rate of attack, they would eventually run out of energy.

He did not know which would happen first... if they would run out of Psynergy, or if the corruption of dark Psynergy would cause enough damage to turn him into a mindless beast.

His true form was dangerous. While it was powerful – far more powerful than his current state – it was unpredictable. His mind was fueled by dark Psynergy in that form. The insane beast would tear the Adepts to shreds in mere seconds... and he didn't want that. He wanted their deaths to be slow and agonizing. It was only fitting that the first mortals to gaze upon him in his hour of return should witness his full glory.

They deserved to grovel at his feet, begging for mercy. He would not allow them to see his true form, for while they would still meet their inevitable deaths, they would have beaten him either way by bringing him to his basest level.

He would not degrade himself in such a way.

That meant he would have to exhaust them with indirect tactics. Essentially, dragging out the fight as long as possible while doing as little himself as he could manage. The best way would be for him to summon shades to fight for him. While the energy such a technique required would be taxing, but it would likely do what he needed it to.

Lunos dodged another attack by leaping into the air, and he used dark Psynergy to hover high above them, where they could not reach them. Felix and Sheba jumped down from the wall, and joined the others.

“Your efforts amuse me,” Lunos told them with a smirk. “So I think I might enjoy a fair bit of entertainment before I kill you all. I shall give you new opponents to fight, and you can deal with them until I see fit to end you all. I will need a good show to tide me over until I have Weyard conquered once more.”

He waved his hand, and dark Psynergy filled the island. It coalesced into four points around the Adepts, and they began to take the shape of people.

Lunos then created a hovering throne to sit in and watch the battle. But as he sat, he felt nausea strike him. The corruption of the dark Psynergy was more taxing than he remembered it being. Creating those four shades had used up more of his power than he thought.

Could it be the vessel...?

“No,” he said under his breath. “She was perfect. This body will last. I am simply unused to it yet.”

Still, Lunos wished he still had his mask. Creating tendrils to hold the Adepts would have been far easier, as he could have simply walked around and slit their throats while they struggled to break free. But sustaining a force like that without his mask would have corrupted him far too quickly.

The girl had struck wisely when she went after his mask. But he was a god, and he would not let the actions of some mortal end him.

Not like last time.

 

The four shadows standing in a circle around the Adepts began to change in shape. They developed features, and color filled them. Weapons appeared in their hands. They all recognized their opponents.

“You've got to be kidding me,” Garet said with a laugh. “I thought we were done with these guys.”

Saturos and Menardi stood on one side, while Agatio and Karst took the other. The six Adepts raised their weapons.

“Can you guys handle them?” Felix asked.

“What do you mean?” Sheba asked. “Where are you going?”

“Up.”

“Yeah, we can deal with them,” Isaac said. “We did once already.”

The Proxians attacked, and Felix rolled out of the way, not getting caught in the brawl. Felix ran off, and various weapons met.

The battle erupted, and split into two distinct groups. Agatio and Saturos ended up on one side of the island, with Garet and Piers facing them down. On the other side, Menardi and Karst were locked in combat with Isaac, Ivan, and Sheba.

Agatio attacked Piers with his steel knuckles, while Saturos and Garet were hurling fire at each other. Piers blocked the attacks, but he was forced back against the wall. Agatio tried to punch Piers, but the Lemurian dodged. Agatio's fist was buried in the wall, and a large crack ran up its side.

“They're not themselves,” Piers said. “There's no intelligence in their eyes. Just mindless fury.”

Agatio roared and tried to pull his fist out of the stone wall. The crack grew, running up the entire side.

“We're not fight the actual people, just shadowy imitations...” Piers concluded. “Then I guess there's no need to be merciful!”

Piers sheathed his sword and used his Psynergy to create a shard of ice in each of his hands. He ran to where the trapped Agatio stood. His opponent tried to punch him with his free hand, but Piers dodged and drove one of the ice shards into Agatio's gut. Agatio did not show any pain at this, nor did any blood flow. Undeterred, Piers stabbed Agatio in the throat with the other piece of ice.

This would have killed any living human, but Agatio just kept on fighting. Piers rolled out of the way to avoid a brutal kick, then he jumped back.

“To be fair, they wanted to steal my boat,” Piers said. Then he snapped his fingers.

The two shards of ice in Agatio's stomach and throat exploded, growing into large blocks of jagged ice with a thousand points. Agatio was torn into dozens of pieces.

“One down,” Piers said, turning to check on Garet.

The imitation of Saturos was locked in combat with Garet. The use of fire Psynergy must have ended in a stalemate, for they were now using their respective weapons. They were pretty evenly matched, though Saturos seemed to have a slight advantage, if only because it was harder for Garet to counter with his heavy axe.

Piers ran over and brought his own sword down on Saturos, who rolled out of the way.

“Thanks,” Garet said. “He was giving me a bit of trouble there.”

“Don't mention it,” Piers said, standing beside Garet and watching the shade of Saturos. He was watching them back, seemingly waiting for them to make the first move.

 

Karst seemed unable to focus on Ivan or Sheba, as all her attention was on Isaac. Though they were mindless shadows of the original Proxian warriors, it would seem Karst's hatred of Isaac had been retained, for she attacked him and only him with a single-minded fury. They were quickly separated into their own duel, leaving Ivan and Sheba to deal with Menardi.

Not that Menardi was any less aggressive. Ivan and Sheba were less skilled in physical combat than the others, and against the powerful woman they were stuck in a defensive position.

Menardi advanced on them threateningly, holding her scythe up.

“Big attack?” Ivan asked.

“Big attack,” Sheba agreed.

They raised their hands together and struck Menardi with simultaneous bolts of plasma lightning. They followed this up with another, and then a third, leaving a smoking crater where Menardi had just been standing.

“Than should take care of-” Ivan began to say, before being cut off by Menardi's scythe burying itself in his shoulder.

Menardi crawled up as the smoke cleared. She was missing an arm and a leg on her right side, and the skin on that side was red and charred. Her face was half-missing, leaving her trapped in a horrific grin.

“Ivan!” Sheba exclaimed.

Blood ran down Ivan's shoulder, and he gripped the top of the handle of Menardi's scythe. At first Sheba thought he was trying to pull it out, but then she realized he was actually holding it in.

He was holding her in place.

Sheba moved. She ran to Ivan, picked up his dropped short sword, and then ran behind Menardi. The deformed Proxian began to turn around in confusion, but Sheba was already swinging. The small blade cut through Menardi's neck, and her head slid off her shoulders.

The headless body fell back, taking the scythe with it. Some blood flowed out of Ivan's shoulder, but thankfully the wound wasn't fatal. However, Ivan wasn't going to be doing anymore fighting. He took a few steps back and collapsed against the wall.

“Thanks,” he told Sheba.

 

Lunos frowned.

His plan wasn't working as well as he had hoped it would. The Adepts were having trouble with the shades, as he had thought they would. One of them had even been wounded. But...

They weren't showing any signs of letting up.

Two of the shades had already fallen, and they hadn't needed to resort to Psynergy in a great amount to defeat them. They were winning with tactics rather than brute force.

Lunos realized his foolish mistake. He had thought giving them opponents they had seen before would unnerve them. Instead, he had simply made it easier for them. They had already killed the Proxians once, so they knew how to do it again.

A flash of light above him drew Lunos' attention. A few dozen yards above his hovering throne, Felix had appeared, using his Teleport Psynergy. Before Lunos could react, Felix had landed on the throne. The Sol Blade impaled Lunos through the shoulder, emerging out the other side above Lunos' hip.

Lunos growled in pain. Had that been a full Keyblade, he would have been done for. He grabbed his scythe, and swung, decapitating Felix.

Or at least he thought he had. The blade went through the Adept's throat, but his body appeared to be made of sand. Felix's body reformed, and he grabbed Lunos' hand and pulled the scythe out of his hand.

Felix threw it aside and glared at his opponent. With his left hand he grabbed Lunos by the throat to hold him still.

“Die! Die! Die!”

Then Felix punched him in the face. He had a small chain wrapped around his gloved hand, so the punch cut him and drew blood. Then Felix punched him again. And again. And again.

“Die, you motherfucker!” Felix screamed as he delivered a barrage of brutal punches to Lunos' face.

Lunos dissipated the energy in his hovering throne, and both he and Felix fell. Felix grabbed the hilt of the Sol Blade in mid-air, and pulled it out of Lunos' chest.

“DIE!!!”

Felix swung the sword and Lunos' head went flying.

Felix landed on the ground, and the separated head and torso of Lunos landed on different parts of the island. The impact of him hitting the ground knocked the wind out of him, and he gasped.

Felix had only a few moments to catch his breath, before he had to roll to the side to avoid a sword aimed for his neck.

He climbed to his feet, to find the burned and damaged form of Saturos standing before him. Piers and Garet were near, themselves slightly wounded.

“Felix, are you okay?” Garet asked.

Felix quickly thought about the situation. “Garet... Piers... Lunos is incapacitated. He won't stay that way for long. Go find his head and throw it over the wall, where he can't come back from. I'll deal with Saturos.”

They hesitated for a moment, but didn't argue. Garet and Piers left, leaving Felix alone with Saturos.

He stared at the shadow of his former master.

“I don't know what degree of intelligence you've got in their,” he said. “But there's something I've wanted to tell you ever since you died at Venus Lighthouse.”

Saturos said nothing.

“I wanted to thank you,” Felix continued. “The way you trained me... it was cruel and merciless. But it made me strong. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for you.”

Saturos narrowed his eyes slightly. Perhaps a sign of intelligence... Felix wasn't sure. He decided it didn't really matter, either way.

“But that doesn't mean I don't hate you for it.”

Felix raised his sword and attacked.

 

Isaac was forced back against the wall.

Karst stood before him, her wicked scythe shining red with his blood. She had nicked him a few times on the arms, which hurt, but he was fortunate the wounds hadn't been worse.

Unable to dodge or effectively block her next attack in the cramped space, Isaac was forced to use Psynergy. He cast Earthquake on the ground at Karst's feet, which send her flying back.

However, this caused damage to the ground at Isaac's feet as well. A fissure ran from the spot under Karst where the earth had broke open, and Isaac jumped to the side to avoid being caught in it. This fissure met a crack already formed in the wall where Agatio's fist had been, which caused a large portion of the wall to shatter and collapse.

The ground at Isaac's feet started breaking off and falling into the abyss. He jumped, and just managed to catch the crumbling edge of the ground. He wrapped his fingers around the grass, trying to keep himself from slipping and falling into oblivion.

Isaac could feel his legs dangling in the air.

He looked up to see Karst standing over him.

He held his breath as the edge of Karst's scythe brushed against his finger.

She's going to cut my fingers off.

Isaac waited for the inevitable, and his heart skipped a beat when he heard the sound of a blade piercing flesh. A bit of blood hit his face, but he let out a sigh of relief when he realized it wasn't his.

Karst fell off to the side, a blade through her heart. And stepping from behind her on shaky legs was Jenna.

Isaac reached up with his free hand, and his fiancee pulled him up to solid ground.

 

Felix pulled his sword out of Saturos' chest, and wiped the blood on the hem of his fallen opponent's robe. Off to the side, he could see Jenna pulling Isaac up from the edge where the wall had broken, and on the other side Sheba was tending to the wounded Ivan.

So that left...

Felix froze.

Piers stood before Lunos, who had regenerated from his decapitation. Piers had his sword drawn, though he was holding the blade in the wrong hand. His sword arm hang uselessly at his side.

Lunos held Garet by the throat for a moment, then threw him off to the side. Garet was not visibly wounded, though his face was pale was snow. He rolled off to the side, unmoving.

“Damn...” Felix said under his breath. “I should have...” He thought there was something he could have done, but he decided that now wasn't the time to worry about mistakes.

Felix looked around at the others. Jenna was standing, but she was too drained of Psynergy to fight. Ivan was wounded. Garet was incapacitated.

“Piers!” Felix called out. The Lemurian half-turned to him, still keeping Lunos in his peripheral vision. “Tend to the wounded.”

Piers looked back at Lunos briefly, then turned back to Felix and nodded. He went to Garet's side and half-lifted him off the ground and moved him away to safety.

Piers was their only dedicated healer. He couldn't afford to let him get wounded as well, not with the way their numbers were dropping.

“Piers, take the wounded back to the stairway and heal them there,” he said. “Isaac... Sheba... You two stay with me.”

Jenna protested, but Isaac hushed her and sent her off. Ivan rose and limped off, and the two remaining fighters went to Felix's side.

“Felix,” Piers said before leaving. “Be careful.”

He nodded back to him. Ivan and Jenna both gave him glances with unreadable expressions before they followed Piers through the doorway.

Lunos watched them expressionlessly, patiently waiting for them to make the first move.

“Why did you send them away?” Sheba asked when she reached Felix's side. “Piers could have healed them fine at the edge of the wall.”

“Look down,” Felix muttered.

Sheba did so. The ground at their feet was cracked, the small fissures traveling from the large one where the wall had broken.

“This island is about to fall apart,” Felix told her under his breath. “And there's only four of us left in fighting condition. This was a battle doomed for failure from the beginning. Under the pretense of tending to the wounded, I sent off four of us to a secure location. At the very least, they'll be spared when this place crumbles. I'd tell you two to do the same, but I won't waste my breath when I know ”

“So what's the plan?” Isaac asked.

“You two back me up, but keep your distance,” Felix said. “I'll stab him or lock him in an engagement. If I am unable to use my Psynergy at this point, I want you to tear the island to pieces and get out of here. Lunos and I will fall into the abyss.”

“Felix...” Sheba said, concern in her voice.

“Why not just break the place up right now?” Isaac asked.

“Because he can float,” Felix replied. “If I'm there when he falls, I can chop his head off and make sure it doesn't reattach... at least until everyone gets away. Or until we reach the bottom of that abyss, if there even is one.”

“But that's...”

“It's the only way,” Felix said sharply. “We don't have time to argue about this. Either one of us goes down with him, or he escapes and we all die.”

Isaac begrudgingly agreed, but Sheba didn't look convinced. Not that it mattered, in the end. Felix tightened his grip on the Sol Blade, and marched down the length of the island towards Lunos, towards his death.

“You've finished your little discussion?” said Lunos as they drew near. “Make whatever plans you want; it will make no difference in the end.”

Lunos' energy was swelling. Whatever had been holding him back before clearly was no longer. He radiated with dark energy, and it could be visibly seen coming off his body like black steam.

Felix raised his sword, Isaac did the same, and Sheba gripped her staff.

“You would still defy me?” Lunos said, his voice rising high. “Stupid mortals. I-I-I will cut your fucking hearts out of your chests you ugly sack of meat!!!” Lunos twitched his head to the side, the right half of his mouth curling into a sadistic smile.

Without an answer, Felix charged and swung the Sol Blade. Lunos parried the attack and took a step back, unfazed by Felix's efforts. Still, the Venus Adept pressed forward, locking his enemy in an engagement. Isaac and Sheba circled around Lunos like two hawks, waiting for an opening to strike.

“Mongrels!!!” Lunos shrieked. “I am all there ever was! Teehee... I'm gonna rip the bone out of your arm and rape your ass with it! Teeheehee...”

Isaac and Sheba exchanged confused glances.

Felix drove Lunos back to the edge of the wall, where it was broken. The ground grew more uneven as he advanced, so he had to watch his step carefully.

Lunos jumped back suddenly and landed on the wall, at a secure part.

“You fools think I am so easily tricked?” he laughed. “Of course you will try to send me into the abyss! You clearly cannot kill me through normal means!” Lunos examined his hand, where a scratch left by Felix's sword quickly healed and closed itself up.

“Now!” Felix exclaimed. Both he and Isaac drove their swords into the ground, and Psynergy poured from them both. Cracks appeared in the hard earth, and traveled towards Lunos, growing into fissures and divisions in the ground. Nearly half of the island crumbled and fell.

Lunos leaped off the wall just as the fissures took out the foundations of his position. However, he was knocked back by a powerful gust of wind, and he grabbed the edge of the wall to keep from falling into the void. The wall crumbled apart in his grip, and with a terrified shriek, Lunos plunged into the abyss.

They waited for a moment, unable to believe it was over. Sheba let out a heavy sigh and sat down. Isaac ran his hands through his hair, panting.

Felix, on the other hand, wasn't so optimistic. He raised his sword, waiting.

A horrific shriek filled the air, and the Adepts covered their ears to keep from being deafened by the sheer volume and pitch of the sound. Felix recognized the noise... the same sound Alex had made back in Kalay, after Garet had beheaded him.

A black and pulsating claw of energy sprang from the abyss and grabbed the lone tree remaining on the island. It's fingers dug deep into the bark, leaving deep slashes where the claws traced through.

A second claw reached up and shot past the Adepts, who jumped aside to avoid being hit. It pierced right through the wall on the opposite side of the destruction, and it dug its claws into the stone like a grappling hook.

And then the two extensions pulled a being out of the void. They were attached to its chest, so they were not the creatures arms as one would initially think. But that was the least of the horror.

It was mutated and malformed, its features twisted demonically, much like the possessed Luxord back in Mercury Lighthouse. It's arms and legs were stretched twice as long as its torso, spikes protruded from its back, and its jaw was unhinged like a snake, revealing two rows of dagger-length fangs. It's eyes were as black as coal, and were stuck too far apart in its skull, blinking with vertical lids on the left and right sides of its head. There was a sickening sound, and a third eye appeared on its forehead, which swiveled around and fixed on the Adepts. Then there was another sound, and the two unnaturally long appendages receded back into its chest, only to be replaced by a pair of massive, bat-like wings.

Sheba stifled a scream. Isaac only stared, wide-eyed, at the aberration in front of him. Felix, however, chuckled mirthlessly.

“So this is your true form? Not the armored swordsman you shaped yourself as. That was only an illusion. The long years of using dark Psynergy have twisted you and turned you into this... monster.”

Lunos growled, a low gutteral sound that no human could make. And then he spoke, in a voice like nails across chalk.

“The Madness has taken me once more. The mask... it suppressed my power. In destroying it, you have given birth to the True Evil. Enjoy the tender kiss of death, mortals.”

Felix, Isaac, and Sheba raised their weapons, and they braced themselves for the coming attacks. They could sense Lunos' power from where he stood, radiating like the heat of a furnace. They could never defeat something so powerful. Not even with the other five of their company, would they have even a ghost of a chance. Felix's plan of taking Lunos with him into the abyss was impossible now. It would take the monster mere seconds to tear him to pieces.

They were going to die, and nothing they could do would prevent it.

“I'm sorry, everyone,” Felix said quietly.

A few seconds passed in painful anticipation, but Lunos never attacked. Instead, he began to chuckle in his bass voice, and his deformed mouth curled into a smile.

“Have you come to die, as well?”

“Maybe another day,” said a voice from behind the Adepts. They turned to find the tall, red-haired figure of Axel, standing behind them at the entrance of the island. His arms were crossed, and his lips were curled in a smug smirk.

“Axel?!” Felix exclaimed.

“Good, you got it memorized,” the Nobody said with a wink.

“Axel, how in the world did you get here?” Felix asked.

“He's not restraining anything anymore,” Axel said, pointing at Lunos. “Anybody can use Dark Corridors, but I found a way around that even before you guys got here. Once I did get back, I already knew the castle well enough to find my way down here. Those stairs were the hardest part, actually.”

“Take the others and get them out of here,” Felix urged him. “There's no way out of this. Save the others.”

“I'll take everyone home, don't worry,” Axel laughed. He pointed at Lunos. “As soon as we finish that fugly ass over there.”

“Foolish Specter! Your forces are but the efforts of an insect in awe of my own!”

“Shut up,” Axel spat. “You killed Roxas. And now you've killed Xion. There's no way in hell you're getting away with that. You've crossed a line, my friend.”

“And how do you propose to stop me?” Lunos growled. “Only a full Keyblade Master may hinder me. Felix bears a Keyblade, certainly. But he lacks the pureness of heart to unlock its true depths.”

“Then we get another Keyblade Master.”

“Who?”

“ME!!!”

Axel jumped aside, as a flash of red sprang past him and launched itself at Lunos. The demon was stuck, and a flash of light filled the room. Lunos howled in pain, and recoiled.

The light faded. Lunos was crouched in the corner, his body covered in burns and slashes. They were healing fast, but if he had sustained so much damage from a single attack...

Felix looked in awe at the new arrival, who stood before Lunos, holding a golden Keyblade. The boy turned to Felix, and grinned.

“Call me Sora.”

 

Axel turned to Isaac and Sheba. “Let's get out of here. It's up to those two now.”

Isaac nodded, but Sheba hesitated. “But...”

“Felix can take care of himself,” Axel said. “And together, he and Sora will be able to stop Lunos. All we can do is get in the way. It's up to us get the wounded to safety.”

Sheba hesitated briefly, then she nodded. She and Isaac followed Axel through the doorway, leaving Felix and Sora alone with Lunos.

“Who is this Sora kid?” Isaac asked as they ran.

“The Keyblade Master,” Axel explained. “He's the Somebody of Roxas. And Xion too, in a way. Riku's friend. He's the one Organization XIII was after for so long.”

“So how is he awake?” Isaac asked. “According to Felix, he was stuck in an unnatural slumber or something...”

Axel frowned. “Xion was created from Sora's memories... Once she was gone, there was nothing left to keep him from reawakening.”

“Oh...” Isaac muttered.

Then that means she really is gone. Poor Felix.

They emerged to the top step of the long stairway, where Piers waited with the wounded. Ivan had recovered enough to walk on his own, but Jenna had passed out from exhaustion, and Garet wouldn't wake up. They would have to carry the two Mars Adepts back to the Castle That Never Was.

There was another girl with them, a petite blonde girl in a white dress. Isaac was startled for a moment, because she had the exact same face as Xion, prior to her age-up. He was burning with questions, but he knew now wasn't the time.

With Isaac carrying Jenna, and Piers carrying Garet, they ran down the stairs as quickly as they could. Above them, there was an explosion on the floating island, and the remaining half of the land crumbled and fell into the abyss.

Isaac's blood ran cold for a moment, as he saw the faint shapes of Felix, Sora, and Lunos falling.

 

The boy flourished his Keyblade and offered a hand to Felix.

“I don't really know what's going on here, but I was told my help was needed,” Sora said. “Are you alright? Can you still fight?”

Felix stared at the boy for a moment, then he took his hand and rose to his feet.

“Sora...” he said slowly.

“That's me,” Sora said.

Felix turned away from Sora, uncomfortable with the feeling of familiarity he felt when he looked at him. He wasn't sure if it was Xion, or Roxas, or himself that he saw in the boy's eyes.

Instead he turned his gaze to Lunos, who had finished healing, and was drawing himself up to his full, ten-foot tall height.

Felix knew not to hate Sora, because the boy was not responsible for anything that had happened. But he still felt angry that he was there. Sora's presence was the final nail in Xion's coffin. Because Sora couldn't have awakened as long as Xion still lived, that meant that she really was gone. Some faint thread of hope had lingered in his heart that, even though Xion had been dead before Lunos had taken her body, there was still a chance to save her. But Sora's appearance had ended those hopes.

Felix didn't want to feel it, but he couldn't help but feel that Sora had taken Xion away from him.

Just as Xion took Riku away from him...

Felix glanced back at Sora, now holding his Keyblade and watching Lunos. Did he know what had happened to his friend? Had Axel told him?

Don't worry about that now. You have a Keyblade Master. You can defeat Lunos. You can seal him away, just as your ancestor did the first time.

Felix flourished the Sol Blade, and stood beside Sora.

“How much do you know about Lunos?” he asked.

“Not much,” Sora replied. “Axel told me that he's been causing a lot of trouble for you guys, and that if he gets free a lot of innocent people will die. That's enough for me. What's the plan?”

“Plan...?” Felix repeated. “He's just taken this form. I'm sure what the extent of his abilities are, so fight carefully. Evaluate his abilities, then we can regroup and form a more direct strategy. The thing is... he regenerates, and even fatal wounds like decapitation won't kill him. I don't think he even can be killed, so the best we could do is seal him back in his tomb. Only a Keyblade Master can do that, I've been told, but I haven't the faintest idea how that would work.”

“Don't worry about it!” Sora said with a confident grin. “As long as you keep your spirits up, you can do anything!”

Felix rolled his eyes. A bit sappy, but at least the kid wasn't intimidated by the task before him.

“Very well, then,” Felix said. “Let's go!”

Felix and Sora flanked Lunos, charging at him on opposite sides. The demonic creature hesitated for a moment, then leaped into the air, flapping his bat-like wings a few times to keep sustained. He landed on the other side of the island, and the impact of his landed caused the cracks in the ground to deepen.

Felix saw movement out of the corner of his eye. On the stairway, he could make out the shapes of his companions, two of them being carried, as they ran down the long stairway back to the cavern that led back to the Castle That Never Was. They were a good way's down, and well out of danger.

“Going somewhere?” Sora exclaimed suddenly. He began running towards Lunos and, rather than charge or jump, he threw his Keyblade in the air. The weapon spun through the air and struck Lunos in the head, then disappeared and reappeared in Sora's hand.

Sora quickly separated the distance between them with a thrusting strike form his Keyblade, then he jumped up in the air, and bashed Lunos around a couple times.

Lunos retaliated by clawing at Sora, but the boy easily dodged the attacks and rolled around behind Lunos, where he struck Lunos at the base of one of his wings, severing it.

Felix moved to help Sora. Lunos blocked Sora's next attack, then retaliated with a heavy kick that sent Sora flying across the room. Felix reached Lunos, and leaped into the air, driving the Sol Blade into Lunos' throat.

Lunos growled in pain and seized Felix with one of his clawed hands. He tried to pull his blade out of Lunos' neck, but it was stuck fast. Felix could feel Lunos tightening his grip, which felt like binds of iron crushing his bones. He finally pulled the Sol Blade free, and stabbed at Lunos' hand with it, but the demon only smiled sadistically and squeezed tighter.

“Take that!”

Sora jumped up on Lunos' shoulders and brought his Keyblade down on the demon. Lunos shrieked in pain and dropped Felix. Sora jumped off, and stood beside Felix.

“Your effort are impassioned,” Lunos muttered in his low voice. “But ultimately doomed to failure. For you cannot fly, can you?”

Before they could answer, Lunos brought his heavy foot down in a stomp. The ground he was standing on shattered instantly, and fissures spread from it all around the island. Even as Lunos plunged into the abyss, Felix and Sora were running for the stairway.

But they never made it. The remaining ground of the island broke off and fell, and they were grasping for a ledge that was gone. There was a brief instant where Felix felt suspended in midair, before he realized he was falling.

Memories rushed to his head. The day he had met Xion, where she had tried to stop him from dropping into the chasm where Mt. Aleph had been.

“Xion...”

Felix looked to Lunos, expecting him to be flying up out of the void on his wings. Instead, he saw the demon locked in mid-air combat with Sora.

 

As Felix plunged into the abyss, the air around him grew misty and thick. He quickly lost sight of Lunos and Sora. Everything was growing cold, and he wondered if the fall would last forever.

He couldn't use Teleport to warp back to the stairway. He wasn't familiar enough with the area to picture it in his mind's eye, and he had lost sight of it too quickly. And he couldn't possibly leave Sora alone.

He resigned himself to the fact that he would fall forever. Thus, he was surprised when he landed on soft ground.

Felix looked around. He was lying in a shallow pond of water as black as oil. There were trees all around him, but they were twisted dead things with no leaves. In the distance, he could see ghostly forms wandering aimlessly, either unaware of his presence, or too apathetic to care.

“Another realm created by Lunos...” Felix muttered as he rose. “No... he tossed Alex down here earlier. He thought Alex would fall forever.”

Alex, of course, was nowhere to be seen.

Felix wandered around the immediate area a bit, taking in the strange new surroundings. As he passed a few of the wandering Nobodies, they would look up momentarily at him, before returning their eyes to the ground. There was a dead look in those eye... a kind of hopelessness that comes to those who truly have nothing, not even the release of death.

Would the imprisonment of Lunos free these people? No, it wouldn't. All sealing Lunos away would do was protect the outside world from him. Those already trapped in his domain were stuck there forever.

A flash of red through the trees in Felix's peripheral vision caught his attention. He turned, and saw Sora running.

“Sora!” he called out.

The boy stopped, saw him, and ran to his side.

“What happened to Lunos?” Felix asked as Sora reached him.

“I'm not sure,” Sora said. “We were separated during the fall. He hasn't regenerated that wing I cut off, though, so maybe that means he's stuck down here too.”

“We can only hope so,” Felix said. A wave of fatigue swept over him, and he sat down in the shallow water. He suddenly felt very tired.

Sora sat down next to him. “So, uh... it's Felix, right?”

He nodded.

“Yeah, I thought so...” Sora muttered. “My memory of the last year or so has been all messed up. Namine said she had to rush the process, so I got stuck with a lot of Roxas and Xion's memories, as well as my own.”

Felix looked at him. “So you do know of Xion.”

“Very faintly,” Sora replied. “I would dream while I was asleep. I saw a lot of things I didn't understand. When I woke up, just a few hours ago, I was bombarded with all these images and sounds and feelings that I had never felt before. Some were from Roxas, but most were Xion's...”

Felix looked down at the ground. His eyes were burning with the sting of unshed tears. It was so hard to admit she was gone.

“I saw... I saw her death, through her own eyes,” Sora said carefully. “The last thing she thought about was how much she loved you.”

“I-” Felix started to say something, but he wasn't even sure what he wanted to say. Either way, the words caught in his throat.

He took a moment to compose himself, before he looked back up at Sora. “Sora, I have to be honest with you. Xion and Riku... during the adventure they ended up fighting. And Riku, he...”

Sorrow filled Sora's eyes, but not anger or confusion. “Yeah, I know. I knew before I was even awake. I saw it over and over again, in my dreams. It tormented her. She felt so much guilt over it. She sometimes wished she had been the one who died instead.”

“You don't hate her for it?”

Sora thought for a moment. “No, I guess not. It wasn't a simple thing, you know, like good guys or bad guys. It was two people fighting to save their best friends. For Riku, he wanted to save me. And for Xion, she wanted to save Roxas... and you. Things could have been different, but I think if I had been in her position, I might have done the same thing.”

Sora sighed. “What I really regret is that they're all gone now. Riku, Roxas, Xion...”

“I guess you can't always save everyone,” Felix said quietly.

 

The sound of trees being smashed and voices exclaiming in shock drew their attention. Felix and Sora jumped up in surprise, and turned around to find the massive, demonic form of Lunos, tearing through the trees like cardboard, and the ghostly Nobodies running in fear. One of Lunos' wings, the one Sora had cut off, was still missing.

“Enough of this!” Lunos said as he reached them. “We shall settle this now! I will use the full extent of my powers to crush the both of you, and then I will return to the surface and devour the others!”

The dark forest around them shimmered and vanished, being replaced by a round coliseum lit by a ring of torches. Three rows of seats were filled with the Nobodies, who looked around in confusion, seemingly unable to move.

Felix spotted Mia's distinctive blue hair among them.

“Draw your weapons,” Lunos growled. “In this place, there are no tricks. No ground you can destroy, and no place to retreat. You will do honorable battle in the arena, and you will fight until I have slain you both.”

“Honor?!” Felix spat. “You dare speak of honor? You, who manipulate and lie to others? You killed the Wise One and took his shape in Xion's dreams, just to manipulate her into becoming your vessel! You have no right to speak of honor!”

Lunos blinked, and tilted his head slightly in confusion. “What are you saying? I certainly did deceive the girl, I will not deny that... but you mean to tell me that the Wise One is dead?”

“By your hand!”

“That is a lie. Though we may have been enemies, The Wise One is one of the very few who deserve my respect. He was a great fighter in the era of my empire, before he ascended this plane and took the form you know him as. I would not kill him in anything less than a splendid battle among the stars.”

“Well he's undoubtedly dead. So if you didn't kill him, then who did?”

“I will get to the truth of this matter once I have returned to my throne. Whoever has done this deed will suffer greatly for it. In the meantime, you have evaded my vengeance long enough. Let us settle this once and for all.”

Lunos raised his clawed hands in the air, conjuring the black scythe from earlier, this time proportionally enlarged to his current size. This made the blade of the scythe as long as Felix was tall.

“Defend yourselves!” Lunos shrieked.

The demon swung the blade of the massive scythe, which sliced through the air where Felix and Sora had been standing.

The arena was large, but Lunos and his weapon were so huge they took up a good portion of it. After some quickly calculations, Felix realized that if Lunos would stand in the center of the arena, his scythe could still reach any part of the field they could go to. The stadium had no visible exits as far as Felix could see, which meant that escape was flat-out impossible.

They had no choice but to fight this demon.

Felix rolled out of the way to dodge another swing of the scythe, and he ran up to Lunos and sliced at his legs. Meanwhile, Sora was doing the same thing.

Unfortunately, this did little. Lunos didn't even react in pain. He simply stepped back and kicked Felix with enough force to send him flying into the stands. He passed through two of the ghost Nobodies, who reacted with shocked cries.

Felix's head was spinning from the blow. He shook it off and climbed to his feet to see Lunos knocking Sora down with the flat of his weapon, then raising it for the killing blow...!

“Damn it!” Felix shouted. He ran towards them, casting Ragnarok as quickly as he could. A massive blade of Psynergetic energy stuck Lunos and exploded. It was enough to distract Lunos momentarily form his attack.

Felix jumped into the air and landed on Lunos' back. He grabbed the topmost spike protruding form the demon's spine and drove the Sol Blade into the flesh between his vertebra.

This was enough to make Lunos howl in pain. Sora rose and jumped back, pointing his Keyblade at Lunos and firing several fireballs at his face like a cannon.

Felix pulled his sword out of Lunos' back and jumped off as the fireballs stuck him. He landed on the ground and prepared his next attack, but Lunos was too fast. He felt the edge of Lunos' scythe connect with his waist.

He heard the voices of Sora and Mia simultaneously cry out his name.

Somehow, the swinging blade didn't cut him in half. His leather armor managed to stop the blow, though he was pulled up off his feet and pinned to the wall of the coliseum. The sharp blade cut into his armor, and he was stuck, unable to move. The Sol Blade had fallen from his hands.

Lunos let go of the scythe, and took a step back, leaving the blade lodged in the wall. Then a black tendril burst from Lunos' chest and shot into Felix with the speed of a bullet, piercing his shoulder. He bit his tongue, stifling a scream.

“Felix!” Sora shouted. He ran up and slashed at Lunos' feet with his Keyblade, but the attacks didn't seem to do much.

“In another age, those attacks would have been lethal to me,” Lunos said. “But in this unreserved form, my power is so great it exceeds even that of a Keyblade! The dark Psynergy flows so freely it nullifies the light. Drown in it, Keyblade Master! Drown in the eternal darkness! Let your light be swallowed by the void!”

A vortex of black energy appeared at Sora's feet, pulling him in. The boy struggled to get free, but the void only grew, and it pulled him in.

“Dammit... Sora!” Felix struggled to break free. His efforts were met with a second tendril penetrating his other shoulder. He cried out and a bit of blood pooled at the edges of his lips.

“Lunos, please stop this!” Mia cried out from the audience, unable to rise or look away.

The demon turned to her with an expression of disgust.

“Who gave you the right to speak, you sub-human shade?!”

A third tendril shot out of Lunos' chest and pierced Mia through the stomach. A moment later, Mia cried out in pain as a surge of black electricity ran down the appendage and filled her body.

“Don't you fucking touch her!” Felix screamed. He reached up with his hands and ripped the two black tendrils from his shoulders. He screamed in pain and blood flowed freely. Then he pressed his gloved hands to the edge of the scythe and pushed it away from himself. The blade cut into his hands, drawing more blood, but he was freed and he fell back to the ground.

Felix quickly found the Sol Blade at his feet. He picked the sword up and charged at the tendril linking Lunos to Mia, ignoring the pain and lightheadedness he felt. He swung the blade and it cut clean through the black tendril. Mia's cries were cut off. He felt a moment of relief, before he felt three more tendrils piercing his chest.

Felix's vision went red.

He suddenly felt very cold. He slumped forward, coughing up a mouthful of blood. He hit the ground, his eyes still open, but unblinking and unmoving.

A pool of red blood was growing around him.

He was not breathing.

His heart was still.

 

Sora struggled to pull free of the whirlpool of dark energy pulling him in.

He felt like a thousand hands were gripping him and pulling him into a sea of blackness. His Keyblade was gone, fallen somewhere out of his reach. He was kicking and pulling and fighting as best he could. But he knew it was hopeless battle. Each second that passed, he slipping an inch deeper into the pool of darkness. The surface was already above him, the golden glow of the coliseum and the torches lighting it. He moved his arms, like he was swimming. It did nothing.

He wasn't going to give up. But he didn't think there was anything he could do.

He blinked...

And found himself lying back on the dirt, in the stadium.

Did he just... let me go?

He Keyblade was on the ground next to him. He quickly grabbed it and drew himself up. Felix was lying in a pool of blood some distance away. He looked dead. Sora prayed he wasn't.

He raises his Keyblade and turned to Lunos. Surprisingly, Lunos' attention was elsewhere. The demon was looking away at the corner of the coliseum, where a man with blue hair was holding something up and talking to him.

 

Mia could see her cousin Alex standing in the corner of the coliseum, holding something up and talking to Lunos. He was somewhat different than he has been the last time she had seen him. His right eye was covered in bandages, likely lost. His clothes were different, consisting of heavy white robes, rather than the travel-efficient blue ones he had formerly used. And he carried a thin black sword at his side, which she had never seen before.

Alex had his usual smile on his face as he spoke to Lunos. Mia could just barely make out the object that he was holding... the broken fragments of a white mask.

“It's power is almost gone in this state,” Alex said. “Almost, but not completely. In fact, its almost poetic that the biggest surviving piece would fit so well over me.”

Alex dropped the other pieces, which shattered further on the ground. The one he kept was a third of the mask, that would have covered the wearer's right eye.

“Indeed,” Lunos growled. “So you only pretended to be in my thrall. Not bad, I'll admit you had me fooled, even though I had my doubts at times. But what was your ultimate goal in this? Just the mask?”

“That, and a few other things,” Alex said. “My goals are simply too long-term to be immediately understood, least of all by a simple-minded fool like yourself.”

“Watch your tongue, mortal,” Lunos said. “Don't forget, I can kill you in a moment if I wished it.”

“Your legend is built on exaggerations,” Alex said. “It took you this long to kill Felix, and in the end, you only succeeded because he was distracted by you attacking my cousin. You are not nearly the god you proclaim yourself to be... just an immortal with a lot of Psynergy.”

“We'll see which of us is dead by the end of this,” Lunos growled. “Go ahead. Put on the fragment of my mask and see if you can use it.”

“I think I will,” Alex said. He pulled the bandages off his face, revealing the hollow where his eye had been. He then places the white third of the mask in place.

It fit perfectly, like it had always meant to be there.

“But as I said earlier, you are very simple-minded,” Alex continued. “Think about what I have, what I can do, and what situation you are currently in.”

“Enough of your vague nonsense. Tell me!”

“Very well,” Alex said, grinning. “What I have is access to many of your abilities, due to the connection your established with me that prevents me from dying. What I can do is use these abilities in any way you can, including the reversal of any effects you have set in place. And finally, the situation you are in is that you are surrounded by hundred of Nobodies, all of whom are frustrated and angry that your will is keeping them from being reborn.”

“What are you saying? I can-”

Too late, Lunos realized what Alex was saying. But it was too late. Alex snapped his finger, and light flooded the room. The light of several hundred Nobodies being reborn.

In moments, Mia found herself a flesh and blood person again. She gasped, suddenly needing to breath once more. All around her, she could hear exclamations and awe from her fellow former-Nobodies.

Which quickly turned into anger directed at Lunos.

The army of Nobodies swarmed down from the stands, attacking Lunos and overwhelming him with sheer numbers. A few had weapons, but most of them were ordinary people who fought only with their fists. Not that it mattered; Lunos was able to swing his scythe at them only a single time before they climbed atop him like ants on a dropped sugar cube, punching and stabbing and tearing at every inch of Lunos' flesh.

Mia did not join them. She had only one thought on her mind.

She ran down the empty stands, towards the corner where Felix had fallen. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alex wink at her briefly with his left eye before vanishing.

She reached Felix and gently rolled him over. He wasn't breathing, nor was his heart beating. His skin was cold, and he was deathly pale.

Panic struck her, but she forced herself to stay calm. Using her Psynergy, she closed up all his wounds and stopped the bloodflow. She used a light Jupiter Psynergy to hit him with a weak jolt of lightning, to start his heart back up. She filled him with every healing technique she knew, and finally she pressed her lips to his and forced him to start breathing again.

Felix's eyes shot open and he gasped.

“M-Mia?!” he said.

She smiled and nodded. “Welcome back.”

“Is he alive?” the brown-haired boy with the giant key asked, limping over to them. “You healed him?”

“I did.”

“That's incredible,” he said.

There was a loud gasp from many of the reborn Nobodies, who had stopped their attack and were now backing away from what remained of Lunos. Several of them had even broken into a run, and were fleeing to the distant corners of the coliseum.

Mia helped Felix up to his feet.

“I have to go,” he said. “This needs to be done.”

She hesitated, then she nodded and smiled. “Go on.”

Felix was barely able to walk, so Sora let Felix lean on him. Together, they solemnly approached the other side of the arena, where the reborn Nobodies were gathered around in a circle, cautiously backing away from the scene of the carnage.

The people moved aside as they approached. What they saw in the center was a hideous sight neither had expected.

Lunos' body was torn to shreds. There was no blood, but bits of flesh, bone, guts, and even brain matter were shattered everywhere like he had simply exploded. And in the center of it all... was the true Lunos. The core.

It looked like a grub, or a half-formed slug with the head of an infant. Its eyes were large and red, like Lunos' previous forms. Its skin was as black as the dark Psynergy he used. It sobbed and cried pitifully.

“Its his soul,” Felix said, unsure how he knew this. “All that's truly left of him, under all the illusions and body-hopping. Alex... he disabled Lunos' healing and regeneration while he was being attacked. He's now weaker than he's ever been. We don't need to seal him away... because if we strike him now, he will die.”

“Can we do that?” Sora asked. “I don't know if I can just strike someone down in cold blood like that. Even someone like him... if he were attacking us, that would be one thing. But this... it's like killing an infant.”

“He'll never recover from this,” Felix said. “He'll be trapped in this state for eternity. It's a mercy kill more than anything. But I won't force you. Give me your Keyblade. I'll kill him for both of us.”

Sora hesitated, then he handed his Keyblade to Felix. The Adept took the weapon in his left hand, while he still held the Sol Blade in his right. Sora turned away, unable to look at the deed, as did many of the people around them.

Felix stepped up, and pointed both weapons at the worm-like thing on the ground in front of him. Its eyes looked up at him, silently pleading for mercy.

He would get none.

“Goodnight, God-Emperor of the Anemos,” Felix spat.

He drove both swords, the Sol Blade and Sora's Keyblade, into the creature's chest. It shrieked in pain, at an ear-splitting pitch and volume, for a full ten seconds, then it collapsed, and it moved no more.

The coliseum began to glitch around them, shimmering and fading away. The reborn Nobodies began to panic, and Sora turned back to Felix.

“What's happening?” he demanded.

“This realm was designed by Lunos' mind,” Felix said quietly. “Without his energy to sustain it, how will it continue to exist?”

“But what's going to happen to everyone?!”

Felix sighed.

“I don't know.”

 

A flash of light, and he was floating in a void. Not a dark and evil void, like the ones before, but a peaceful void of white light.

“Wake up, sleepy-head.”

Felix slowly opened his eyes. He was lying in emptiness. He turned, to see the shape of a girl with black hair, and round blue eyes staring back at him.

“Xion...”

He reached out to touch her, and as his fingertips caressed her cheeks, they passed through. Her form became translucent. She was fading away.

“Xion!”

He reached out and grabbed her hand, and she exploded in a flash of light. He was blinded.

“Wake up, sleepy-head.”

“Wake up, Felix.”

“Wake up.”

Wake up.


	35. Adrift and at Peace

Alex blinked with his single eye, and stared at the cloudy fluid in the cup before him.

A week had passed since the battle with Lunos. He had made it back to Weyard without a problem, slipping away from the others like a shadow. Though he doubted that they would have made the effort of looking for him in the first place anyway.

He took a sip from his cup. The coffee was a simple brew, not too strong in taste, but not underwhelming either. A sobering drink, which was just what he desired. He would have to leave the waitress a generous tip.

He was back in Tolbi, in a nondescript coffee shop. The aftermath of Felix and Xion's escapade had left the place in chaos, but things had mostly settled down since then. Iodem was dead, and his experiments on the previous leader had left his legacy soiled. While the public had been less than fond of Babi in his later years, the inhumanity of what Iodem had been doing to him was enough to brand him a monster to the people of Tolbi. They were unanimous in the fact that they would not stand for someone treating another human being in such a way, even if said victim was a tyrant.

Perhaps that was a sign that civilization was maturing. The past few centuries had seen a decline in the barbaric practices and horrific wars of the ancient days. If that were so, and a new enlightenment was indeed coming to the people of Weyard, than the return of Alchemy had been timed well.

And Alex was ready to take a step back and observe things.

He had attained what he was after. With the four Essences of Pure Alchemy, he had the limitless power he had desired, and with what was left of the Lunos' white mask on his face, he had the safeguard he needed to control that power. He had his immortality, though with Lunos gone it had returned to mere agelessness rather than the regenerative invulnerability of before. Alex was content with this. He was quite possibly the most powerful living thing on Weyard now. And with both the Wise One and Lunos gone, only the gods themselves could contest him, if they even existed.

He had power, which he had always desired. But he had no desire to abuse it. He was strange in that regard. Power is said to corrupt all, which could be seen many times in history by those who had found it. But now that Alex had his power, he felt at peace, possibly for the first time in his life.

Did that mean he had always feared weakness? Possibly. His whole life after all, had been a manipulation aimed at acquiring power, which he finally had. All it had cost him was one of his eyes.

Alex was not evil, though he would not call himself good either. He had long ago learned that morality was too complex to be divided into two halves. He was powerful, and he knew that, and he would not hesitate to prove it should it be challenged. But he had no desire to force others to bow at his feet as Lunos had.

Lunos had only lost in the end because of his own foolishness. There were so many paths he might have taken, so many ways he could have regained his empire. But in the end, he had written his enemies off as nonthreatening mortals, and that had been his downfall. Had Lunos simply ended Alex at the moment when he no longer needed him, he would have won. But his pride had destroyed him.

Now, Alex was the god among men. If he wished it, he could go out and forge an empire of his own, that would rival or even surpass Lunos'. And indeed, he had considered it. But he had no wish to do such a thing. Empires always fell, no matter how great they proclaimed themselves to be. Sooner or later, Alex's own pride would have clouded his judgment, and a boy with bright eyes and a magic sword would have appeared and defeated him. History had a tendency to repeat itself, and he knew that he would be remembered not as a warrior, or an emperor, or even a god, but the first human to transcend.

Exactly what he would transcend to, he did not yet know.

He took another sip of his coffee. For now, he would relax. Let some time pass before his next adventure. He had seen all of Weyard, after all. His new abilities would easily give him access to the dozens of worlds Xion and the other Nobodies have seen, as well as the thousands they had not. There was an infinite universe of realms for him to go to, each with their own rules for him to learn and master.

And he had all of eternity to do it.

Alex finished his drink and rose, placing a few coins on the table for the waitress. His coffee had been quite good.

As he left he caught sight of the man called Blados, holding in his hand a bottle of alcohol. A woman was with him, a beauty with flowing pink hair and what appeared to be horns atop her head. An unusual sight, which would have drawn attention, were it not for the subtle illusion she had over herself. A simple trick that would fool a human, but even the more novice Adept could see right through it.

He caught snippets of their conversation as he discreetly eavesdropped. He heard her name – Chalis, and another word that was repeated several times – Tuaparang. Blados mentioned Psynergy Vortexes, which she seemed quite interested in.

Alex was intrigued. The woman was clearly powerful, and her clothes were unlike anything he had ever seen. They were clearly planning something big, he could tell by the expressions on their faces and the weight of their conversation. If he should involve himself, it could be quite the possibility to gain more power or knowledge.

He thought about it for a moment, then concluded that he had better things to do.

Alex turned from the two, and left, the door of the coffee house swinging behind him.

 

Felix awoke slowly in a room he had come to know quite well.

The guest chamber that had more or less been declared 'his' room, in the palace of Kalay. He knew the walls, and the ceiling, and so he felt a sense of familiarity and comfort when he opened his eyes.

As usual, there was nobody there. Sunlight steamed in through the open windows, stinging his unadjusted eyes. Some birds could be heard chirping, perched on the tree branches. It was a beautiful day, with few clouds in the blue sky.

Felix rose from his bed, finding himself dressed in warm, clean pajamas. He had a few bandages beneath his clothes, where he had taken wounds in the battle.

The battle...

Xion.

He felt pain rising in his chest, and his eyes burned. He reached up and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He couldn't cry. Not yet. He had to check on the others first.

He changed into his regular clothes, which were all washed and folded. Then he stepped out of his room into the hallway of the palace, which was deathly quiet.

“Hello?”

He received no answer. There was not a soul in sight, not even the guards. He wandered down a few hallways, and checked a few rooms. The dining room, the kitchen, the throne, the basements...

Nobody.

Felix began to wonder if he was actually in Hammet's palace, or he had found himself in some sort of purgatory. Had he died back in the depths of that dark realm, after finishing off Lunos? Was this that realm itself, merely taking the shape of a place he knew well.

If so, why not become Vale or even Prox? He knew those places much better than the Kalay palace. No, it couldn't be something that farfetched.

But he just didn't understand why there was nobody around.

Felix decided to head outside, to clear his head. As he neared the front door of the palace, he began to hear a faint sound from the other side. He hesitated, then pushed open the doors.

The sound was music. Down in the town square, Felix saw there was a great festival in progress, much like the ones he had gone to early in his life, when Vale would celebrate the coming of a new year.

Felix saw two familiar people, Isaac and Jenna, on their way up the steps of the palace. They both had ice cream in their hands. Jenna looked up and saw him, and she exclaimed and ran up and gave him a big hug.

“You're finally up!” she said. “I was hoping you would be up soon! This is the last day of the festival, and I would have been disappointed if you had missed it!”

“Festival?” he asked.

“In celebration of the eclipse,” Isaac explained. “That red star in the night sky only passes behind the moon every couple of decades. This is the second time it has happened since Kalay was founded, and they had a week-long festival the first time, as well.”

“The red star...” Felix muttered. “Lunos was going to return on the eclipse.”

“Yeah,” Isaac said. “But thanks to you and Sora, that didn't happen. For us, it doubles as a celebration of our victory.”

Felix nodded. “I understand.”

“Mia's been pretty anxious to see you,” Jenna said slyly.

His eyes shot wide open. “Mia! She's... she's back?”

Isaac nodded. “Yup. I'm not sure how to explain it... Nobody is, really. But we're all glad.”

“Why don't you come say hi to her?” Jenna asked. “C'mon, there's something we gotta tell you on the way.”

The three of them made their way down the stairs towards the lively sights and sounds of the festival. As they walked, Jenna spoke to Felix with barely contained excitement.

“So you know that Ivan can see stuff that happens in the future, right?” Jenna asked him. “But he can't tell us any of it because we might try to change things and that would cause a paradox?”

“Too well,” Felix muttered, thinking of Xion's death.

“Well, he saw something that he could tell us,” Jenna said with a big smile. “Guess what it is?”

“Garet would get indigestion?”

“I'm pregnant!” Jenna delightfully exclaimed. “The baby was conceived just before we left!”

“You are?” Felix said. “What what about...?”

Jenna touched her belly and smiled. “Well, I didn't think it would be possible again, after what Alex did. But I guess I was wrong. Or maybe it's just a miracle.”

“Well, good for you then,” Felix told her.

“Ivan won't tell us if its a boy or a girl,” Jenna said. “But I think it'll be a boy.”

“What makes you think that?”

Jenna shrugged. “I can just feel it.”

“If it is a boy, then his name will be Matthew,” Isaac said.

“There's more good news,” Jenna said. “We've decided that since everyone is here already, and we're having a child, that we may as well push things ahead and...”

“Get married,” Felix concluded for her.

“Yeah!” Jenna said. “Are you okay with that? We can wait if you're not feeling up to it.”

Not feeling up to...? Oh.

Xion.

“No, go ahead and get married as soon as you wish,” Felix said. “You have my blessing.”

“Oh brother, thank you!” Jenna exclaimed, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

 

Felix went down into the festival, where the villagers of Kalay were entertained with a number of amusements, including music, food, games, and dancing. He immediately spotted three familiar faces seated at a table, sharing a large dish of fries – Sheba, Ivan, and Sora.

Sheba spotted him as he approached and she ran up and hugged him, complete with the usual exclamations of relief and joy at seeing him.

Felix pulled a chair over from an unoccupied table and sat with them.

“Jenna and Isaac are with child once more,” he said. “And they want to get married this evening.”

“Yeah, it's all they've been talking about,” Sheba said. “Aside from wondering when you would wake up.”

“They tell me this is due to your predictions,” Felix said to Ivan. “You're certain of this?”

The young Jupiter Adept nodded. “Indeed. Now that all the chaos is over with, I can tell you guys some of the less serious stuff. Basically, the things that it doesn't matter if you know of or not.”

“Anything you can tell me?” Felix asked him.

Ivan gave him a long look. “No. Not yet anyway. I'm sorry.”

Felix nodded, and bowed his head. Sheba, seeming to have picked up on his somber mood, offered a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I'm sorry you couldn't save her,” said Ivan.

“I knew it was a small chance to begin with,” Felix said quietly. “But still...” Then he rubbed his eyes and brow, and drew himself up. “Now isn't the time to grieve. In the wake of this tragedy, there's new life. Mia is back, and Isaac and Jenna are having their child. I'm going to focus on that.”

Sora twirled a fry around in his hands, unsure what to say in their conversation. Felix noticed his silence, and spoke to him.

“Thank you very much for coming to help,” he said. “Without you, we would have all died, and our world would have been lost. This should be a celebration in your honor.”

Sora waved his hand, and smiled bashfully. “Hey, don't mention it. I've saved a couple worlds already, so it wasn't really a big deal. I don't really know whats going on around here, but I was glad to help anyway.”

Felix thought of Riku, and again he felt guilty. “Um, your friend... we made a grave for him over in another village. If you want, I can take you there...”

Sora smiled. “Sheba already took me two days ago. And you know, the funny thing is... there was no grave.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, it was weird,” Sheba said. “I remember the exact spot where we buried Riku, but when I took Riku there, it was gone.”

“Did you ask Hama?”

“Of course. She said she hadn't seen anything. The last time she had checked on the grave was when we had been there, after getting back from Venus Lighthouse.”

Felix scratched his chin. “What in the world could that possibly mean?”

“Well, I'm going to be optimistic,” Sora said. “I think he's still alive.”

Felix turned to Sora, staring at him in disbelief. “Sora, he isn't...”

Well, he couldn't say what he was thinking.

“I'm sure he's still out there, in some form,” Sora said. “I'll find him, and I'll take him back to the islands. Kairi's there, waiting for the both of us. I can't let her down.”

Felix didn't have the heart to put down his hopes, no matter how foolish they sounded to him. After losing Mia, and then Xion, he knew the pain of loss. Denial was an easy thing to slip into. It was a comfort.

Still, there was hope in the boy's eyes. His words didn't sound like those of a person in grief... they sounded honest and true. Perhaps Sora really did think he could be reunited with his friend.

Well, Felix had seen stranger things than a person back from the dead. After all, he had thought for sure that Mia was gone forever, and she was back now.

Felix looked to Sora. “You really value your friends.”

He nodded.

“You really are like her then,” Felix said. “Xion's friends were everything to her.”

“I know,” Sora said sadly. “Her last thoughts were of Roxas and Axel... and you.”

“You have to live the life she couldn't,” Felix told him. “What remains of her is inside you now.”

“I have her memories, but I don't feel anything,” Sora muttered. “I can feel Roxas, but not Xion.”

Felix looked down at the ground. Perhaps they had both been wrong all along. Perhaps Xion was gone so completely that not even a remnant remained.

 

After parting with Ivan, Sheba, and Sora, Felix wandered around the fairground, looking for any of his other friends.

He eventually came to an area off to the side, where gentle music drifted from some unseen place nearby. The place was strangely dark, resting in a corner under a building where shadows gave the impression that the day was later than it truly was. He saw an isolated gazebo, illuminated by the warm light of candles. An area set aside for couples.

There was only one couple there at present, a distinctive pair with eye-catching hair of blue and red.

Mia and Axel danced slowly and carefully. Mia knew the steps, and she appeared to be teaching them to Axel. It was strange to see the girl leading with that dance, but Axel clearly needed the help. It was like he'd never danced in his life.

Or perhaps he had. He seemed to be trying a bit too hard at looking clueless. The reason so became clear a moment later, when he slipped up and fell back, pulling Mia with him. She gave a little yelp of surprise, but they were both laughing. She fell forwards, landing on his chest.

The laughter died down as they gazed into each others eyes. Then Mia leaned forward, and their lips met.

Felix felt a mixture of unnameable emotions. Partly, he was glad for Mia, and relieved that she had moved on and found someone else. Partly, he wished it was anyone but Axel. And even so, he still couldn't help but feel a shadow of jealousy.

And guilt at the thought of Xion.

As quietly as he could, he turned and left. They never saw him.

 

Felix spent the rest of the day with Garet, Piers, and Kraden. He didn't speak much, despite the former's ceaseless questions about Lunos. The others had already told him everything that had happened, but Kraden knew Felix had spend the most time around Lunos, and he wanted to learn as much as possible and write a book about it.

Felix thought of the later parts of the battle, specifically Lunos' final form, and the maggot-like core. He told Kraden that he would help him write his book, but he had no wish to speak of those things yet. Kraden seemed to accept this.

The others seemed to understand that Felix was grieving. They all were as well, just not as much as he was. None of them had been as close to Xion as he had been, with the possible exceptions of Garet and Sheba, and they had all already had a week to mourn.

It put them in a tough position, because they had a lot to celebrate, particularly Isaac and Jenna's wedding. But every time they looked at Felix, they saw the sorrow in his eyes, and they were reminded of what he had lost.

After dinner, when the sun was setting, the festivities were moved to the side and many candles were lit. Then Isaac and Jenna emerged and were married in front of their friends and family.

The sun set, and everyone got drinks and gave their respective toasts to the newlyweds. It was an old Vale custom for each person related to the couple to say a few words, so inevitably it came time for Felix to speak.

When it did, he stood up and raised his glass. Rather than the long-winded speeches of the parents, he said only a single sentence:

“Cherish your time together.”

With tears in her eyes, Jenna nodded and told him she would. Isaac held her close and kissed her.

 

Once the celebrations were all done with, everyone parted. Sora said his goodbyes to everyone, then he went off and vanished. The villagers all returned to their homes, and the Adepts went back to the palace, tired after their long week of celebration. 

Felix remained outside for a while, looking up at the moon and the red star nearby. Then he went back to his room and started packing his things.

He emerged from his room and looked around carefully. Nobody was in the hallways. They were all back in their respective rooms. He emerged, and made his way down the hallway with the bag over his shoulder. He knew exactly what it would look like if one of them happened to see him, so he was hoping that he would simply slip out like a shadow.

None of his friends appeared to challenge him. He made it to the front gate of the palace. The guards there gave him a look, but said nothing.

He made it halfway down the stairs before a voice interrupted him.

“You're running away again?”

Felix turned to find his sister sitting on the palace steps, off to the side where he hadn't seen her. She rose and approached him.

He bowed his head in shame. “I can't stay here.”

“I know,” Jenna said. “It's because of her, isn't it?”

“Mia?” Felix asked. “No, I don't care about that.”

“I wasn't talking about Mia.”

Tears welled in his eyes.

“Oh, Felix,” Jenna said, moving to embrace her brother. “It's okay to cry.”

“It's so hard, Jenna,” he said quietly. “It's so unfair. She did so much. She sacrificed so much. And for what? Nothing.”

“Where are you going to go?” Jenna asked him, knowing that he needed to leave. She wasn't going to stop him, but she did want to know where he would be.

“I'm not sure,” he said. “I just need to wander. I just have to get away from everyone.”

“I understand,” she said, releasing him. “You still have the Teleport Lapis, right? So you can come back anytime, right?”

He nodded. “Don't worry. I'll be back before your child is born.”

Jenna smiled, and gave her brother one last hug before he left.

 

Felix walked alone for a few days, with no real aim or goal. He just went wherever his feet and the road beneath them happened to take him.

He eventually did find himself in a very familiar place. He didn't know if he had been unconsciously headed there the entire time, or if it had been a coincidence. Or perhaps fate. But he couldn't deny there was a sort of poetic beauty to him arriving at the Aleph Chasm. His adventure with Xion would end at the exact place it had begun.

He wandered around the chasm for a while, eventually locating the old tent in which he had lived for several months. Surprisingly, it was still standing. He entered, to find that most of his things were still there. Somehow, no bandits or travelers had discovered it and taken all the things he had left. Not that he had really left much of consequence. Mostly just vague plans at getting inside the chasm to find Alex, and empty bottles of ale. The most valuable things there were his old weapons, but they were all obsolete next to the Sol Blade.

He looked around the tent, disgusted by the state in which his former self had lived. With a sigh, he turned and made for the exit, intent on never returning to the place again.

When he caught sight of something that hadn't been there before.

A small white envelope, unmarked, but clearly left for him to find. He picked it up, tore it open, and held his breath when he saw the familiar handwriting.

_Felix,_

_If you're reading this, I am dead._

_But that's okay, because everyone else is fine._

_You see, I haven't been entirely honest with you, Felix. I spoke with Hama during our stay in Kalay. She explained the paradox of foresight to me, and the problems with knowing the outcomes of potential futures. And she told me that there were, indeed, possible futures where I did survive._

_The problem was that I was the only one who did in these futures. Both you and Axel, Garet, and all the others who came to save me... none of you would make it. And after losing Roxas, I just couldn't bear the thought of anyone else dying for my sake._

_Does that make me a hypocrite? After all, I left the Organization all those months ago simply because I decided that I had the right to exist, at the cost of others. I told myself, and I told you, that it wasn't fair that I should be expected to give my own life so that others could exist._

_And yet, here I am doing exactly that. I'm right back where I started, at the same inevitable fate, except that we've lost Demyx, Riku, and Roxas along the way._

_I know you won't like this resolution, Felix. You may even hate me for it. But its really the best outcome._

_At least there is a silver lining to all this. You'll have Mia back. At least one of my mistakes can be undone. And this way, Sora will be able to wake up. Please, tell him how sorry I am about Riku, though I have a suspicion he'll already know._

_I'm leaving you something. You gave a lot of yourself for me, so I didn't think it was fair that Sora should have every bit of me. Hama tells me that the Essences will guarantee that its still here for you, even after I dissipate to nothing._

_I'm done writing this letter now, and I will be leaving it here for you. I came here with the Teleport Lapis while you slept, and I will be returning to your side. I'm going to cherish every moment that I have left with you, before I have to go and play the part of Lunos' thrall._

_When you find this, please don't grieve for me. Just cherish the days we had, as I will._

_With love,_

_-Xion._

He folded the letter up and put it in his pocket, unsure of what to feel after reading that. She hadn't been under Lunos' control at all... she had simply been pretending to be, for his sake. She had known all along that she wasn't going to make it, so she had simply gone with the best outcome possible.

He felt a slight weight in the envelope. It was the thing Xion had left for him. He reached inside, and pulled out a strand of black hair, braided and tied.

Xion's hair.

A tear fell. But no more than that. He was out of tears to cry. His sorrow was fading, being replaced by that feeling of numbness.

He knew this cycle. He had gone through it before, after Mia had left. First there was the sorrow. Then, the emptiness. And then, he would find something and cling to it, to fill that emptiness. With Mia, it had been revenge.

Who could he go after this time? He had several choices. Alex was still at large, but he had actually been responsible for helping them defeat Lunos in the end. Xemnas and Xigbar were gone, but who knows what world they had gone to? What chance did he ever have of finding them?

Still, it was better than nothing. If he didn't find some goal, some direction for his life to fill that void, he would die.

He stepped outside, and looked at the void. So massive... so empty...

He took a step towards it.

“Felix?”

“Xi-!”

He spun around and froze, disappointed. There was a girl standing near the tent, who looked and sounded almost the same as Xion.

But it wasn't her. This girl had blonde hair, and wore a white dress.

“Who are you?” he asked. “How did you get here?”

The girl smiled. “Hmm, yes. How indeed... My name in Namine. I'm a friend of Sora's, in a way.”

“A friend of Sora's?” he asked. “I'm afraid you're out of luck, then. Sora already left. He's gone back to... wherever it was he came from.”

“I know,” Namine said. “I chose to stay here. I have no intention of going back there. I'm going to start my own life here, in Weyard.”

“Fine,” Felix said, shrugging. “Then what are you doing here? Did you follow me?”

She shook her head. “No. I've been waiting. You see, I got an idea, and I wanted to share it with you.”

Felix crossed his arms. “Okay. What's this idea of yours?”

“You have a piece of Xion's hair in your hand,” she said, pointing to his hand. He tightened his fingers around the braided lock. “Don't you think its strange? That a piece of her still remains in this world after she is gone? Typically, Nobodies and Replicas return to the darkness when they die.”

“She had those four Essences,” Felix said. “That's why. She explained it in the letter.”

“Yes, you're right,” Namine said with a coy smile. “But there's a little more to it than that. It's simple conclusion, even if its not immediately obvious. Think about it, Felix... who else had those four Essences?”

“Alex.”

“Right. And what ability did it grant to Alex?”

“Immortality,” Felix said. “The use of all four elements. Regeneration...”

He froze.

No.

No.

It couldn't be.

Namine smiled from ear to ear. “Lunos' death took away the full capacity of those abilities. They don't really work anymore, but that piece of hair you're holding is in the process right now. It just can't finish because it was cut off from Lunos' power supply.”

“Xion... did she... plan this?”

“No, Xion had no idea,” Namine said. “I think Hama did, though. She said herself, that there as no way for everyone to survive, and Xion would have to die. But Xion 'died' during a state of immortality, right?”

Felix held up his hand, looking at the lock of hair. “Then... what do I have to do?”

“Just find a way to kick-start the regeneration process,” Namine said.

Kick-start the regeneration? Where could he possibly go that had healing so powerful...?

Oh, of course.

He ran up to Namine and gave her a big hug, lifting her up off her feet. The small girl gave a surprised, “Oh!”

“Thank you very, very much!” he said to her.

“Hey, glad to help.”

Then he let her go, and took off. He teleported away in mid-step.

 

Felix appeared in front of Mercury Lighthouse.

There was nobody around, which was perfect, because he needed to fountain all to himself.

He approached the fountain, and took off his cloak. He folded it, and set it on the marble rim. Then he stepped into the water, which was only deep enough to reach his knees. The air outside was cooler than the waters, so steam rose up off the surface.

He held up the lock of hair, and took a long look at it.

“Namine... you had better be right about this.”

Then he tossed the braided strand of hair into the Hermes' Water.

A few moments passed. Nothing happened.

Felix sighed, and bowed his head dejectedly.

“I knew I shouldn't have gotten so excited...”

There was a loud hiss, and the water began to bubble. Felix jumped back with a surprised yelp, stumbling over the edge of the fountain.

The water grew in volume, turning frothy. It began to overflow, and streams of clear water began to run down the side of the fountain, the heat melting the snow on the ground.

There was a loud sound, and the water burst forth in a huge wave, flowing over the fountain and engulfing Felix. He was lost under the torrent.

It only lasted a few seconds, though. Felix's head broke the surface, and he spat out a mouthful of water on the wet ground. Then he looked up at the fountain, and gasped.

A human arm hang over the side.

Felix drew himself up and ran back to the fountain. There, half-submerged in the clear water, was a girl with blue eyes and black hair.

The girl gasped breathlessly, as though breathing for the first time. Her blue eyes were hazy and unfocused, but they blinked and had life behind them. The girl breathed heavily for a few moments, seemingly unaware of where she was. Once her breathing slowed down to a natural pace, she blinked a few times and focused her eyes.

“M-Mercury... Lighthouse....?” she said, her voice strained from lack of use. “How...?” Then she turned her head to the side and saw Felix.

There were tears in his eyes and they met each others gaze. Her lips tembled, and a tear ran down her cheek as well.

“F-Felix...”

“Xion...”

She reached up to touch him, like she didn't believe he was real. Her fingers brushed against his face, and fresh tears ran down her cheeks.

“I'm not...”

“No, you're not,” he said, smiling.

She smiled back at him.

Then she realized she had no clothes on, and her face turned red.

 

Felix wrapped her in his cloak, and helped her up and out of the fountain. The cloak was soaked, and not dry as he had hoped it would be when he first took it off and set it aside, but he wrung it out, and it did its job well enough.

They walked back to town, and went to Mia's unoccupied house. A few villagers gave them odd looks, but nobody said anything. The door was locked, but such a thing was no matter for a Keyblade Master and an Adept with the Sol Blade. They were quickly inside.

Felix quickly started a fire, and Xion sat in front of it to warm up. She still wore nothing but Felix's cloak, but he had found some old clothes of Mia's she could wear once she dried off.

Xion laughed suddenly.

“I just realized something...” she said. “The first time we spoke... I didn't have any clothes on then, either.”

Felix thought back. “Oh, yeah. Way back in the cave, after you saved me from drowning.”

Xion smiled. “Back then... wow, we were practically different people. I never would have thought we would end up here.”

“Me neither,” Felix said.

She turned to him. “Is everyone... alright?”

“Everyone is fine,” he told her. “Just like Hama told you they would be. Everyone is back in Kalay, safe and sound. Even Axel. Sora woke up fine, and helped us win the battle. And Mia came back, too. Yeah, everything worked out right.”

Xion looked down, ashamed. “I'm so sorry I didn't tell you.”

“It's okay,” he said. “What you did was right. Everything worked out the best it possibly could have. For a while, I thought I had lost you... But you're back now, and everything is okay, so there's no need to look back.”

“No need to look back...?” she said quietly to herself.

“Yeah,” Felix said. “You're free. Sora is back, and the Organization is gone. Xemnas even promised not to come after you anymore. We have all the time in world now... Your future is your own.”

Xion thought about that for a moment, then she smiled, closed her eyes, and lay back, letting Felix's cloak slide off her shoulders.

“This is what I was after,” she said. “All this time, I wanted my own life. Now that I have it, I don't really know what I want to do.”

“You can do anything you want,” Felix said.

“You promise? I can do... anything... I want?”

“Okay, then I think I know what I want to do first.”

Xion stood up, not picking up the cloak off the ground. Felix, sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, blushed but did not look away. Xion walked slowly to him, and sat in his lap. She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed her way up to his ear.

“You,” she whispered.

He chuckled. “Clever.” He kissed her, at the spot where her jaw met her neck. She shuddered, and her breathing quickened. “I've been doing this longer than you, though. You'll find I'm not so easy to seduce.”

“You don't want me?” she asked.

“I didn't say that,” he said. “But not right now. I don't think Mia would appreciate the gesture.”

At that, Xion remembered where they were, and she broke down in giggles.

“You're right, it might be a better idea to wait.”

“But that raises the question... where are we going to go? I mean, we'll have to stop in Kalay to let the others know you're back, and it might not be a bad idea to check and make sure that Namine girl isn't stuck at my old tent, but after that... we have the whole world in front of us.”

“The whole universe,” Xion corrected.

“Mmm,” Felix agreed. “So... do you have any ideas?”

Xion thought about it.

“I think I can come up with something.”

 

THE END


End file.
